The Building Nobody Knew How to Build

Key moments

In this episode

1. A conductor, a premier and a design competition with 233 entries
2. Entry 218, and the rumor about how it won
3. Building before the design was finished
4. Years of searching for a roof that could actually be built
5. The orange peel idea
6. An election, a new minister and a resignation
7. Why the opera ended up in the smaller hall, and a late reconciliation

Sources

Sources

1. National Museum of Australia, "Sydney Opera House: 1973, Sydney Opera House opens," Defining Moments (main source)
2. "The Sydney Opera House Revisited," Bühnentechnische Rundschau (entry 218 of 233)
3. ArchDaily, "AD Classics: Sydney Opera House / Jørn Utzon"
4. New World Encyclopedia, "Sydney Opera House"
5. Architectuul, "Sydney Opera House"
6. Wikipedia, "Jørn Utzon" (podium columns, UNESCO listing)
7. Architect magazine, "After 40 Years, the Sydney Opera House is Still a Work in Progress"
8. UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Sydney Opera House evaluation document

A note on details: all dollar figures are Australian dollars. The Saarinen story is a rumor, since there is no record of the judging, and the account of the podium columns being rebuilt comes from secondary sources.