Sydney Opera House: Splendid Geometry - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

Sydney Opera House: Splendid Geometry

J.M. Syken

Course Outline

In this course, we will examine the background and history of the Sydney Opera House located on Bennelong Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. We will examine the history of the site dating back to the early Aboriginal uses for it, its development during the colonial period, previous uses as a defensive fort and tram depot and selection as the location for a “National Opera House” in Sydney – Australia’s commercial and cultural capital. We will also examine the problems with the site and remediation actions taken.

As well, we will examine the need for the Opera House, principal personages involved with its conception and the international design competition held to find a suitable design. Furthermore, we will examine in depth and detail the winning design submitted by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and other finalists. We will review the construction “stages” and the resolution to the problem of designing and constructing the roof shells. Also, we will consider the fenestration (glass end-walls) and interior finishes/uses. The addition of an underground parking facility, renovations to the existing complex and prospective plans for additional facilities will also be discussed.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Understand/appreciate the site – Bennelong Point, its historical significance as a gathering place and uniqueness as a location for a world-class opera house;
Understand/appreciate the need for a proper venue for the performing arts in Sydney in the post-WWII era and the motivations of Sydney Symphony Orchestra conductor Sir Eugene Goossens and NSW Premier Joseph J. Cahill as prime motivators and proponents of the SOH;
Understand/appreciate the reasons for holding an international design competition for the SOH and how one of four judges – Eero Saarinen, made the submission of Danish architect Jorn Utzon the unlikely winner of the 1957 competition;
Understand/appreciate the political/cultural climate in Sydney/NSW at the time of the design competition and the need to expedite the start of construction before plans were finalized and how that led to later difficulties;
Understand/appreciate the role of Ove Arup and the critical role his structural engineering consulting firm played in the design and construction of SOH;
Understand/appreciate the three “stages” developed by Arup to expedite and manage construction of SOH;
Understand/appreciate how the election of a conservative government in 1965 changed the nature of the administrative, design and construction activities by early 1966;
Understand/appreciate the problem of the conceptual roof shells and how a Parabolic scheme was abandoned after several years work in favor of a Spherical scheme;
Understand/appreciate how the shells were constructed via pre-cast rib-segments and installed via special equipment and secured with high-tension cables;
Understand/appreciate how the roof shells were finished with pre-fabricated chevron-shaped “Tile Lids”;
Understand/appreciate the development of the glass side/end walls and the complexities/problems involved with the actual installations;
Understand/appreciate the use of interior spaces and how they were reconfigured and finished in the year after Jorn Utzon resigned by a team of local architects led by Peter Hall;
Understand/appreciate the lack of parking facilities inherent in the design competition brief and the need for a supplemental underground Car park to accommodate 1,100 vehicles;
Understand/appreciate the reconciliation with Jorn Utzon in the late 1990s and his and his son Jan’s involvement in renovations, additions etc. to the existing complex;
Understand/appreciate controversial plans for an additional Opera Theater with suitable capacity in the immediate area of SOH; and
Understand/appreciate the awarding of SOH as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007 and its legacy as an iconic symbol of Sydney and the Australian nation.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into one of the greatest buildings of the 20th Century: Sydney Opera House.

Course Introduction

The course includes an in-depth PowerPoint presentation and viewing four(4) archival/documentary films;

ARQUI 23
The Art of Engineering - The Birth of the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
Unseen Utzon

ARQUI 23 provides a background history of the SOH from colonial days through to its completion in October 1973. The Art of Engineering – The Birth of the Sydney Opera House examines the crucial role structural engineer Ove Arup and his consulting engineering firm (Ove Arup & Partners) played in the design and construction of SOH. Sydney Opera House provides an in-depth examination of the political, cultural, design and construction history of SOH. Unseen Utzon provides an insight (via computer animation) of what Jorn Utzon’s original scheme/s for both the major and minor performance halls would look like had they been built.

Course Content

In this course, you are required to view/study the following slideshow and the materials contained in the web pages:

Sydney Opera House: Splendid Geometry (printable handout in PDF, 16 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)
Sydney Opera House: Splendid Geometry (non-printable slideshow for screen-viewing only, 91 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)

Archival/Documentary Films:

TITLE: ARQUI 23

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm3_v-1qPPw

DURATION: 08:34

TITLE: The Art of Engineering – The Birth of the Sydney Opera House

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7EthoeBhfw

DURATION: 09:05

TITLE:Richard Hamond's Engineering Connections - Sydney Opera House

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdXLnn9bKds

DURATION: 46:59

TITLE: Unseen Utzon

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU6oQpHfDz8&feature=player_embedded%C2%A0%C2%A0

DURATION: 06:45

Note A: Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right-clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader from your computer.

Course Summary

More than a building housing a performing arts venue, Sydney Opera House was the realization of a “Vision Splendid” except for, paradoxically, its creator who never saw it completed. No matter, in his mind’s eye architect Jorn Utzon saw his masterpiece complete with all the care and love Michelangelo bestowed on David or La Pieta. For him, the very fact that the building existed gave it a life of its own beyond the generations that conceived and built it. Like the great cathedrals of Europe, it would forever be a work-in-progress as far as he was concerned. In retrospect, the building is a dichotomy of both success and failure. For the most part, the exterior is superb and true to Utzon’s vision while the interiors don’t quite measure up and there is a melancholy over the lost opportunity Utzon’s premature departure from the project entailed. However, the building was designed from the outside in with inadequate volume for the complexities of performance halls and their ancillary spaces from the get-go. As a venue for the performing arts, only the Concert (major) Hall receives a somewhat passing grade with just average acoustics. The exile of Opera to the minor hall relegated that category to second-class status. Perhaps that is why a clarion call is now being heard to supplement the SOH complex with a proper Opera Theater in the immediate vicinity. Some want it to be conspicuous while others prefer inconspicuous, like the huge Car Park under the Botanical Gardens. In any event, the very conspicuous Sydney Opera House remains a work of splendid geometry and a gift from Jorn Utzon to the ages.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Opera_House

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorn_Utzon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ove_Arup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51m-YvjmijI
(Film: Sydney Opera House: Building an Icon - 07:58)

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.