Opera House in Sydney, Australia.

[rameshxavier]

Hi

Opera House in Sydney, Australia has always been the center of attraction. When the Opera House was finished in 1973 it has put the whole continent of Australia on the world map. This building does not imitate or reflect what we people generally imagine an opera house might look like, indeed, it is a completely abstract interpretation. The ability to create abstract art only developed after the invention of photography in the late 19th century, when painters first began to experiment with an abstract, cubist interpretation of reality. Sydney Opera House reflects - Abstraction & Creativity!

[netfree]

Interesting & Fun Facts about Sydney Opera House

* Sydney Opera House sits on Bennelong Point. Before its construction, the point was first developed as Governor Macquarine Fort and later used as a tram shed.
* Sydney Opera House was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on June 28, 2007.
* The opera house was amongst the 20 finalists in the New Seven Wonders of the World project of 2007.
* Sydney Opera House is one of the world's most distinctive 20th century buildings and also makes up one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world.
* 233 designs were submitted for the 'Opera House Design Competition', held in 1956.
* In January 1957, Jorn Utzon was announced the winner of 'Opera House Design Competition' and was awarded a prize money of 5000 pounds.
* It took 7 years to build the model of the opera house and 17 years to complete the actual building.
* The original estimate of the construction cost of Sydney Opera House was $7 million, while the final cost came to $102 million.
* Sydney Opera House was opened to the general public by Queen Elizabeth II, on October 20, 1973.
* The Opera House covers 4.5 acres of land. It is 183 meters long and about 120 meters wide, at its widest point.
* Sydney Opera House contains five main performance spaces, apart from other areas used for performances, a recording studio, five restaurants, and four souvenir shops.
* The Concert Hall of the Opera House has 2,679 seats and is the home of the Sydney Symphony.
* The Opera Theatre is basically a proscenium theatre, with 1,547 seats, which serves as the Sydney home of Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet.
* The Drama Theatre is another proscenium theatre. It has 544 seats and is used by the Sydney Theatre Company and other dance and theatrical presenters
* The Playhouse is an end-stage theatre, with a seating capacity of 398 people.
* The Studio of Sydney Opera House is a flexible space, with a maximum capacity of 400 people.
* Though open only since 1973, the Opera House serves as a representative of Australia, just like the pyramids do for Egypt and the Colosseum does for Rome.
* Sydney Opera House conducts almost 3000 events each year and has an annual audience of 2 million for its performances.
* The Opera House provides guided tours to as many as 200,000 people each year.
* Sydney Opera House has its own opera written about it, called the 'Eighth Wonder'.
* Sydney Opera House is the home of Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony.
* The Opera House is administered by the Sydney Opera House Trust, which comes under the New South Wales Ministry of the Arts.