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.