Sydney Opera House (Sydney Ooperimaja) (0)

Sydney Opera House
Introduction
The Sydney Opera House is a multi -venue performing arts centre in Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jorn Utzon , opening in 1973. The Sydney Opera House was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007. It is one of the 20th century's most distinctive buildings and one of the most famous performing arts centres in the world.
Contrary to its name, the building houses multiple performance venues . The Sydney Opera House is among the busiest performing arts centres in the world, hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people. It provides a venue for many performing-arts companies. It is also one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia , with more than seven million people visiting the site each year, 300,000 of whom take a guided tour.
Desing
Design and construction were closely intertwined. Utzon’s radical approach to the construction of the building fostered an exceptional collaborative and innovative environment. The design solution and construction of the shell structure took eight years to complete and the development of the special ceramic tiles for the shells took over three years. The project was not helped by the changes to the brief . Construction of the shells was one of the most difficult engineering  tasks ever to be attempted. The revolutionary concept demanded equally revolutionary engineering and building techniques.
From 1957 to 1963, the design team went through at least twelve iterations of the form of the shells trying to find an economically acceptable form ( including schemes with parabolas, circular ribs and ellipsoids) before a workable solution was completed. The design work on the shells involved one of the earliest uses of computers in structural analysis , in order to understand the complex forces to which the shells would be subjected. In mid-1961, the design team found a solution to the problem: the shells all being created as sections from a sphere. This solution allows arches of varying length to be cast in a common mould, and a number of arch segments of common length to be placed adjacent to one another , to form a spherical section.
Apart from the tile of the shells and the glass curtain walls of the foyer spaces, the building's exterior is largely clad with aggregate panels composed of pink granite. Significant interior surface treatments also include off-form concrete, Australian white birch plywood, and brush box glulam.
Performance venues and facilities
CONCERT HALL is the largest interior venue at Sydney Opera House. With its grand setting, gorgeous wooden panelling and cathedral -like ambience, the world-renowned Concert Hall is Sydney Opera House’s most prestigious and majestic space . It delivers outstanding acoustics derived from its high vaulted ceiling and white birch timber and brush box panelling. Extraordinary venues call for incredible performances, which is why the elegant Concert Hall is a natural home to the Sydney Symphony, Australian Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. It’s also a prime location for screenings, spoken-word performances and large-scale events , the Sydney Festival being just one example.
JOAN SUTHERLAND THEATRE is a proscenium arch lyric theatre with an orchestra pit.
The traditional theatre seating is made of white birch timber with red woollen upholstery, and the stage boasts an impressive and extensive fly system and flexible staging, creating a state-of-the-art experience for performers, crews and audiences alike. Up to 70 musicians can be accommodated in the orchestra pit, which supports both intimate vocals and large-scale musical renditions.Booked out for much of the year for opera, ballet and contemporary dance performances, the Joan Sutherland Theatre is exclusive but never elitist, drawing a broad spectrum of audiences who down the years have risen to thousands of standing ovations. Originally intended for symphony, it has become a key performance space for Opera Australia and The Australia Ballet.
DRAMA THEATRE is Sydney Opera House’s most alluring and unique space with its black walls and deep blue carpet . Fully equipped with a computerised flying system and twin concentric stage revolves, this medium- sized proscenium arch theatre is as much suited for experimental performances as it is for more traditional productions of drama, dance and spoken-word presentations. Intimate yet impressive, its earthy vibe sets the scene for everything from fearless contemporary and classic performances to compelling presentations and even meet and greets for the nation ’s powerbrokers. For those seeking to maximise the limelight, the auditorium seating is designed to create impeccable sightlines from all angles.
PLAYHOUSE is one of the most intimate performance venues with a seating capacity  of 398.
Originally designed for chamber music recitals, and best suited for single -set productions, the Playhouse is perfectly designed to bring everything from dramatic performances and film screenings, to presentations and conferences direct to the audience . It’s where contemporary artistic forces such as Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Festival and Sydney Opera House Presents put on their greatest acts . And a place where distance dissolves, where the spectators live and breathe every creative moment alongside the stars of the show. Unheeded by onlookers but adding to the venue’s flexibility is a fit-out that includes motorised battens for light rigs and scenery changes, enabling the most sensational productions to be realised. Obvious to all, however , are the Playhouse’s impeccable acoustics.
STUDIO is an intimate, flexible venue with a seating capacity range from 220 to 350. Offering the world’s most sophisticated lighting and sound system capability, Studio brings daring and technological excellence to any performance. It is guaranteed to impress and astound audiences. Designed primarily for contemporary music performances, Studio is also suitable for film screenings, cocktail parties , cabaret and circus acts, in addition to spoken-word and corporate presentations.
UTZON ROOM is multi-purpose venue. Elegance, intimacy and impeccable acoustics combine in this impressive space, recently restored and noted as one of Sydney Opera House’s most structurally important and historic venues. Bathed in natural light and pale timber finishes , and renamed in honour of the great architect, the Utzon Room is unique in being the only remaining wholly Utzon-designed space in the building. Its prestige is heightened by the 14-metre-wide tapestry which provides its centrepiece, by its rare easterly harbour views and by the sequence of monumental concrete structural beams that soar from floor to ceiling, and across which the play of light from the water creates an exquisite dappled effect . Regularly used by Sydney Opera House Presents, the Utzon Room is a glamorous venue for parties, corporate functions and small productions of all kinds.
RECORDING STUDIO is a world- class  recording and production facility. Boasting state-of-the-art technology , the Recording Studio unlocks a world of potential for film makers, producers and individual artists alike. Located within the main shell of Sydney Opera House, it’s connected to every on-site location via an advanced optical fibre-based digital audio network that provides unrivalled audio quality . Given the calibre of the performers seen under the sails, the Recording Studio has to be pitch perfect, which is why it’s run by a small team of highly professional and dedicated engineers who have years of industry experience. These skills combine with an intimate working knowledge of Sydney Opera House performance venues. It’s a unique and seamless blend of services that captures all the mood and drama of the occasion, and ensures that your event reaches its maximum audience at the best possible quality.
List of sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Opera_House
http://www.sydneyoperahouse.co m