My Sydney Opera House
MY SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Against the stunning backdrop of the sydney harbour, lies this graceful architectural piece of urban sculpture, glistening in the sun and aglow at night. Pearl of austrailia jewel of sydney;The Sydney Opera House. Built in 1957-1973 and designed by John Utzon, proudly treasured by the people of austrailia and internationally admired, a master piece of modern architecture. In its relatively short lifetime it has gained a reputation as a world class performimg arts centre and has become a symbol of Austrailia. World heritage listed in 2007, it stands as a symbol of indisputable creativity both architecturally and structurally, not only in the 20th century but also in the history of mankind. The distinctive roof comprises sets of interlocking vaulted ‘shells’ set upon a vast terraced platform and surrounded by terrace areas that function as pedestrian concourses with the final shape of the shells derived from the surface of a single imagined sphere. Each shell is composed of pre-cast rib segments radiating from a concrete pedestal and rising to a ridge beam. The shells are faced in glazed off-white tiles while the podium is clad in earth-toned, reconstituted granite panels. The glass walls are a special feature of the building, constructed according to the modified design by Utzon’s successor architect, Peter Hall.The two main halls are arranged side by side, with their long axes, slightly inclined from each other, generally running north-south. The auditoria face south, away from the harbour with the stages located between the audience and the city. The Forecourt is a vast open space from which people ascend the stairs to the podium. The Monumental Steps, which lead up from the Forecourt to the two main performance venues, are a great ceremonial stairway nearly 100 metres wide. The design,solution and construction of the shell took eight years,and the development of the special ceramic tiles for the shells took three