Sydney opera house

Site, Design, Construction, Costs

Much as the Eiffel Tower defined Paris, Sydney is recognised around the globe by its Opera
House. This presentation traces the chief moments in its creation and use to the present
day, from the choice of site to the original requirements, Jørn Utzon’s unique concepts, the
search for a roof solution, and costs. The building cost represents only 26% of the
expenditure since 1973.

SELECTING A SITE

Everyone agrees that the choice of Bennelong Point for the new Sydney Opera House in
1955 was brilliant, however, few people are aware how many alternatives were considered
initially before Bennelong Point was selected. 21 sites were investigated, including:

• Macquarie St (Domain and Sydney Hospital)

• Philip Park (including Haig Ave)
• Vicinity of Conservatorium
• Fort Macquarie (Bennelong Point)
• Domain (near Art Gallery of NSW)
• Prince Alfred Park
• City Markets
• Corner College Street-Liverpool streets (City Council proposal)

REQUIREMENTS 1956

The original requirements set out in the competition were for two multi-use halls. In the
process of its realisation, after Utzon’s departure in 1966, these requirements were lost sight
of and Grand Opera was abandoned in the Major Hall, with opera relegated to the Small Hall,
which was intended as a theatre.

The 1956 Competition brief asked for:

 • Large Hall seating 3,000-3,500 persons for symphony concerts, large-scale pera,
ballet and dance, choral, pageants and mass meetings
• Small Hall to seat approximately 1,200 persons for dramatic presentations, intimate
opera, chamber music, concerts and recitals, lectures
• Restaurant to seat 250 with lounge, bar, etc, 2 meeting rooms for 100, 200 people

UTZON’S CONCEPTS

Compared to the other competition schemes, Jørn Utzon’s winning scheme stood apart
because of its unique ideas inspired by such examples as Mayan temples, Kronborg Castle,
the City Hall in Stockholm and experiments with shell roofs in Copenhagen which he
witnessed as a young architecture student. His ideas, whilst obviously drawn from a diverse
range of sources, carried a the imprint of his unique genius.

Utzon included a number of unique ideas:

• Opera House as a civic focus to connect Sydney with its harbour

• Processional way from Circular Quay to theatres
• Overlapping roof silhouettes
• Contrasting composition of platform versus roof shells-performance functions rest on
service functions
• Shell roof shapes moulded around interior volumes
• Ancient Greek theatre seating
• Spherical geometry applied to roof shapes
• Nature as inspiration: beech trees and waves in auditoria

THE ROOF DESIGN 1957-62

It took Utzon and Ove Arup and Partners some five years to solve the roof. In their search
for a solution, a variety of geometries were investigated leading to Utzon’s proposal for a
spherical solution which was ultimately adopted as the simplest and least complex geometry
for determining the roof shape.

Ove Arup and Partners London Office considered many geometries:

• Utzon’s freehand shape

• Parabolic ridge and ribs
• Parabolic ridge and circular ribs
• Elliptical ridge and rib
• Ellipsoidal Scheme
• Spherical ridge and rib
• Small circle ridge, great circle rib

THE ROOF CONSTRUCTION

Ove Arup and Partners explored a range of constructions starting with Utzon’s suggestion for
a single skin reinforced concrete shell with stiffening ribs. Double skin and space frame
solutions were seriously debated before the present precast hollow ribbed vault was
adopted.
The engineer also investigated many types of construction before settling on the final
precast ribbed vault with insitu solution

• Single skin reinforced concrete with ribs

• Single skin shell with ribs
• Double skin reinforced concrete with 2-way ribs and structural louvre wall
• Steel space frame with reinforced concrete skin, louvre shell replacing louvre wall
• Insitu and precast concrete
• Precast reinforced concrete ribs, structural stage tower walls
• Precast reinforced concrete partially insitu

ESTIMATES AND EXPENDITURE 1957-1973

Today, the cost of the building ($102 million) seems extremely cheap. Utzon’s contribution
of $18.4 million to complete Stages 1 & 2 is extraordinarily economical considering the later
benefits to Sydney and Australia of the Opera House, as venue and as a symbol. The blue
columns represent the main estimates which caused such political anger at the time, the
brown, yellow ones, real spending by Utzon, the last pale blue column, by far the greatest
expenditure, was by the architectural team that replaced Utzon.

CHANGES & EXPENDITURE 1973-2002

Expenditure on the Sydney Opera House since its completion dwarfs the initial building cost
of $98.8M which is some 26% of what is either proposed or has been expended. The pie
chart shows the major additions and projects undertaken since 1973 and further includes
the Second Upgrade by Richard Johnson costing $66.59M which was included in the NSW
government’s June 2002 budget. By far the single greatest investment was the First
Upgrade, 1988-1998, which cost $120M.

TOTAL EXPENDITURE
Actua
l
Millio
n
STAGE 1: PLATFORM: 1957-1963 (Architect: Jørn Utzon) $5.2

STAGE 2: ROOF: To Feb 1967 (Architect: Jørn Utzon) $13.2

STAGE 3: INTERIOR: To June 1973 (Architect: Peter Hall) $80.4

FORECOURT REFURBISHMENT: 1988 (Andrew Anderson) $34.6

UPGRADE 1: EXTERIOR / INTERIOR: 1988-1989 (PWD) $120.

0
UNDERGROUND CAR PARK: To 1993 Mar 17 $40.0

THEATREWORKS / THE STUDIO / CH ANTEROOM / WESTERN $12.0

BROADWALK FOYER: To 1999 Mar 5 (Architect: Leif Kristensen)

UPGRADE 2: EXTERIOR / INTERIOR: 1998-2002 (Architects: *$69.0

Richard Johnson / Jørn & Jan Utzon)

TOTAL $374.
 4

http://www.twf.org.au/research/drew3.html

The Cultural Center of the Philippines

 The Cultural Center of the Philippines was created in 1966 through Executive Order no.
30, with the purpose of promoting and preserving Filipino arts and culture. It was formally
inaugurated on September 8, 1969, starting a three month long inaugural festival opened by
the epic musical Dularawan. Since then, the CCP has sought to truly embody its logo of
katotohanan (truth), kagandahan (beauty) and kabutihan (goodness). The best artists from
all over the country and around the world have graced the CCP theaters and galleries,
enthralling Filipinos for over thirty years.

History

The CCP is attached to the Office of the President and is under the umbrella of the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts for policy and program coordination.

Performing companies representing dance, music and theater reside within the CCP. It has
four resident dance companies: Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theatre, the Ramon
Obusan Folkloric Group, and the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company.
Tanghalang Pilipino is the CCP's resident theater company while music is represented by the
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the UST Symphony Orchestra, the Philippine Madrigal
SIngers and the National Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation (NAMCYA).

The CCP also covers the mass media as well as the literary and visual arts, encouraging the
growth of aspiring artists in these fields through numerous workshops, seminars,
anthologies, exhibits, symposia as well as competitions and awards.

Through its Cultural Exchange Program, the CCP supports the growth and development of
arts councils all over the country thourgh relevant workshops and seminars. In addition, the
CCP has also established ties with various international organizations such as the
Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Center, the Conseil International des
Organisations de Festivals de Folklore et d'Arts Traditionnels (CIOFF), the World Dance
Alliance and the International Theater Institute. Through exchange programs with these
organizations and with other institutions, Filipinos have been able to glimpse the beauty of
different cultures from various countries, withnessing many a triumphant performance from
highly-acclaimed artists all over the world.

The CCP continues to nurture and promote artistic excellence, Filipino aesthetics and
identity, and cultural values towards a humanistic global society. With the CCP Business and
Master Development Plan now being implemented, the CCP complex is poised to truly
becoming a mecca for arts and culture in Asia.

Concept

He, more than any of his contemporaries, put the Philippines on the world stage, especially
when his CCP Main Building opened in 1969.

His peers have described him as the “Poet of Space” for the way he articulated space using
straightforward geometry.

http://www.culturalcenter.gov.ph/page.php?page_id=55

Technological Institute of the Philippines

 Theory of Architecture 2

Sanny A. Castillo Arch. Abraham Tomaquin

AR12FA2