Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Sydney Opera House, wooden (working) model of minor hall and stage tower (c. 1963–1965)

Sydney Opera House, wooden (working) model of minor hall and stage tower (c. 1963–1965)

Wooden model in four sections

Presented by Jørn Utzon, 1972

LR 73

This wooden model of the minor hall and stage tower of the Sydney Opera House shows the level of detail considered during the design process.

Unlike Any Other Buildling

“It was unlike making any other building. A parallel to the automobile industry would be, not to develop and produce another car-model, but rather to develop the first lunar landing module.”

Jørn Utzon, 2000

Working Drawings

“We had to commence building at a stage where the working drawings had not yet been completed or finalised, so construction began at the building site a long time before we had completed the drawings, and construction drawings were being produced just ahead of construction as the building grew.”

Jørn Utzon, 2000