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About Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House Facts
Woollarawarre Bennelong was a respected elder of the Eora people who gave his name to Bennelong Point. Today, Bennelong Point is home to the iconic Sydney Opera House. It is one of the most historically significant areas in Sydney, witness to several historical events.
The construction of the Sydney Opera House was given an initial cost estimate of $7 million, but the total cost ended up being $102 million! The majority of the costs were covered by money from a state lottery. This is one of the very interesting facts about Sydney Opera House that tells us the staggering amount of money used to build this architectural masterpiece. Certain Sydney Opera House facts are indeed expensive and this is one such one!
If you are looking for some exciting Sydney Opera House facts, this is just for you! In 1956, a competition open to participants from all around the world was launched to establish the layout of the historical site. A staggering number of 233 different designs were entered for the international competition. Jorn Utzon, a Danish architect, took home the first prize of 5,000 for his innovative roof design that resembled sails, and he went on to become the primary architect of the Opera House.
It was anticipated that the building would take four years to complete. However, it took 14 long years to complete the construction of Sydney Opera House. The construction began in 1959, and at its peak, there were 10,000 employees on the job. On a funnier note, now, this is one of the longest facts about Sydney Opera House!
The first performer to ever take the stage of the Sydney Opera House was Paul Robeson. In 1960, he ascended the scaffolding and entertained the construction workers by singing Ol' Man River to them as they ate lunch.
In 2007, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee recognised the outstanding architectural skill of the Danish architect who designed the Sydney Opera House and designated it as a World Heritage Site.
This is one of the spellbinding Sydney Opera House facts. The entire structure is covered with more than one million roof tiles, which collectively cover an area of around 1.62 hectares. They were crafted in the country of Sweden.
On October 20, 1973, Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Sydney Opera House to the public. Since then, she has travelled here four times, the most recent time being in 2006. These are what we call royal Sydney Opera House facts!
In order to keep the instruments in tune during a performance by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the Concert Hall, the temperature needs to be maintained at 22.5 degrees. Temperature and humidity are two factors that must be considered when storing musical instruments.
In 1980, the Concert Hall was the location of Arnold Schwarzenegger's final victory as Mr. Olympia. Schwarzenegger is a former actor and is currently the Governor of California.
In the 1980s, during the Boris Godunov opera, live chickens and one bird wandered off stage and landed on top of a cellist. After this incident occurred during the performance of the opera Boris Godunov , the Joan Sutherland Theatre decided to construct a net just above the orchestra pit.
The Opera House is so enormous that it has the capacity to hold wing-to-wing either seven Airbus A380s or eight Boeing 747s. This could be one of the biggest Sydney Opera House facts recorded till date!
When you count all of the people who come to see the performances at the Sydney Opera House, there are an average of more than 10.9 million visitors there each year. The annual guided tour of the Opera House is attended by approximately 350,000 people according to estimates.
The Sydney Opera House uses seawater that has been drawn straight from the harbour in order to maintain a comfortable temperature inside. The building's heating and cooling are both controlled by the same system, which pulls cool water from the harbour and sends it through a network of pipes stretching over 35 kilometres.
At the heritage site, the Lunar New Year is celebrated with red-lighted sails, traditional lunar lanterns, and Mandarin language tours. The authorities have stated that they believe there were approximately 25,000 tourists present during the celebrations in the year 2019.
FAQs
When was the Sydney Opera House built?
The construction of the Sydney Opera House started on 2 March 1959 and it took 14 years to get the building fully constructed. One of the interesting facts about Sydney Opera House is that it took about 10,000 workers and about 10 years to build.
What is special about Sydney Opera House?
There is no better example of 20th-century architecture than the Sydney Opera House. It is an architectural masterpiece recognised around the globe for its groundbreaking design, meticulous craftsmanship, and cutting-edge engineering.
How big is the Sydney Opera House?
The structure is 183 metres (600 feet) long, 120 metres (394 feet) broad at its widest point. It sprawls over 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres) of land. It is supported by 588 concrete piers that are buried as deep as 25 metres (82 feet). 2,194 precast concrete sections make up its roof. There are about 1,000 rooms at the Sydney Opera House. These range from very modest rooms to incredibly enormous spaces, like the performance hall with its nearly 2,700 seats.
What is the best time to visit the Sydney Opera House?
The months of September through November and March through May are considered to be the ideal periods to visit The Sydney Opera House. During these months, the weather is pleasant for sightseeing and crowds are easier to manage.
Is there wheelchair accessibility at Sydney Opera House?
The Sydney Opera House has a lot of amenities to make sure that everyone can enjoy its events and facilities. All theatres have a number of seats for wheelchairs and their companions.