Qantas Airways departed from Haneda Airport to Sydney International Airport. The overnight flight and the one-hour time difference from Japan allowed us to reach Sydney while we rested (October through March is a two-hour difference in summer time).
Sydney Opera House celebrates its 50th anniversary
On the first day of my stay, I visited the Opera House. It is a World Heritage-listed magnificent modern building with a roof uniquely shaped like the sail of a yacht. It is one of the symbols of Sydney.
I myself have long wondered about the shape of the opera house, which looks like overlapping seashells, and how they support each other as an architectural structure (……). This time, I had the opportunity to tour the second largest building on the site, which houses the “Joan Sutherland Theater,” and I will report on the tour.
Since its opening in 1973, the Opera House has attracted many artists and productions from around the world and has hosted a variety of events. The Opera House has six theaters: two large opera houses, a concert hall, and four theaters on the lower level. Every day there is a performance in one of the theaters, and the number of performances exceeds 1,800 a year.
The Opera House was built by two architects, Jorn Utzon and Peter Hall. Utzon, from Denmark, conceived of a pillarless, artistic building made entirely of concrete and wire, while Australian Peter Hall constructed the building’s interior. If you look up at the ceiling in the hallway, you will notice that the concrete and wooden walls are not connected. It is a double structure with an additional theater inside the outer concrete building. The outer building, which Utzon conceived, is made of concrete blocks assembled like building blocks and held together by wires placed inside to pull and apply pressure. Since the building has no pillars, it cannot be built in earthquake-prone areas such as Japan.
The Opera House sits on a prominent promontory that has been a gathering place for the region’s indigenous Aboriginal people for thousands of years. Utzon’s original design, which evokes images of Sydney’s cliffs and yacht sails, stands out among the competition entries for its architectural significance in its location. The Opera House is mainly known for its shell structure overlapping the roof, but the grand staircase, which resembles the ruins of a Mayan civilization, and the seats in the hall, which resemble an amphitheater, are also highlights of the building’s ancient architectural influences.
At first, Utzon’s work was considered very difficult to realize, as it was not even close to being a concept. However, Utzon’s design was eventually adopted, and it took a long time to come up with a structure that would allow for construction while still utilizing the original design. Although it took a lot of time and money, the Opera House is the crystallization of an Australian people’s dream come true, and this episode is a reminder of the positive values of the arts.
Underneath the shell is a foyer. It is a space where visitors can have a drink while enjoying the view of the ocean during breaks, and is also available for rent. The first thing one notices when stepping into the foyer is the large, tilted window pane. Many people may have experienced the reflection of people in the building when viewing the night view from a high-rise building or taking pictures. In the foyer of the Opera House, however, the surrounding windows are set at a 45-degree angle, so you can enjoy the spectacular view without having your image reflected in the glass. Incidentally, since this foyer faces the sunny north, the glass expands during the day. The silicone cushions between the panes of glass are designed to absorb this expansion, and the steel framework overhead is also designed to expand and contract in accordance with the glass.
We were also able to tour the inside of the “Joan Sutherland Theater.” As can be seen from the top of the opera building on the map, the theater is long and narrow, with no upstage area beside the stage. For this reason, the stage set is assembled in a basement warehouse, and the floor is lifted directly up like a lift. In front of the audience seats, there is an orchestra pit in the semi-subterranean area, where live music is performed for operas and classical ballets. The ceiling and walls of the stage are covered with protrusions that resemble the inside of a human mouth, allowing sound to spread from the throat to the outside of the mouth.
After this, we got up close and personal with the exterior walls of the Opera House. When the Opera House is viewed from a distance during the day, it appears dazzlingly white, but in fact, the tiles on the roof are not just one color of white. They are combined with Swedish tiles in two colors, white and a cream color that reduces light reflection, so that they look different depending on the weather and time of day. In addition, these tiles allow dirt to fall with the rain and run off through the gutters into the ocean. Amazingly, most of the tiles have not been changed from the originals for 50 years. The same tiles are also available for public purchase.
© Source travel watch
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