Our Planet’s Landmarks Series #21
Sydney Opera House Australia
Even before I
Before applying for my Australian visa, I went on to Google Earth. To search for a vantage. A vantage that provided an opportunity to shoot Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge together. After my research, I zeroed in on Shangri La in The Rocks area. I didn’t waste time securing a room there. Visa application came later!
A Room with a View
My booking request was specific. A ‘smoking’ room with a view. I indicated I was a travel photographer, hence the request. I got a booking confirmation from Shangri La. It was silent on my request. I sent a follow-up mail. Still, no response. Soon, it was time to travel.
I repeated the request at the time of check-in. The front office lady clarified Australia doesn’t allow smoking in the room. While I got clarity on the law of the land, I objected to a lack of response to my mails from the hotel. The kind front office lady checked the booking records. She realised the hotel had not responded to my requests. Though she couldn’t give me a ‘smoking’ room, she did the next best thing. She upgraded me to a higher floor. It gave a superb view of the two attractions – the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
What is so special about Sydney Opera House
My room gave me the opportunity to shoot the two icons. Through different light conditions. All the while, I wondered what makes Sydney Opera House unique.
I did some reading and dug out some interesting nuggets. You may know of some. And may not know of some. Each one is awesome. Have a read!
Local authorities held a worldwide competition. They invited designs for National Opera House at Bennelong Point. The competition attracted over 200 entries. Swedish architect Jørn Utzon’s winning entry broke the mould. It embraced an expressionist style to create a modern-day icon.
Sydney Opera House – Some Factoids
UNESCO inscribed Sydney Opera House on its world heritage list in 2007. That puts it alongside Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, and the Pyramids.
Today, the venue hosts over 1500 performances attended by 1.2 million people every year. And it attracts over 8 million tourists, of which 350,000 take a guided tour.
The Opera House covers an area of 1.8
At
During its construction, the political ambitions of Davis Hughes marred the client-architect relationship. It forced Utzon to resign. The detailed story of the incident does its rounds as ‘Malice in Blunderland’.
While much may have said about this landmark of our planet, there is one quote that best sums it all up. It is attributed to Pritzker Prize judge Frank Gehry as he awarded the prize to Utzon in 2003. He said, ‘It (Sydney Opera House) was a building that changed the image of an entire country.’
 was a building that changed the image of an entire country.' - Sydney Opera House Australia - Travelure ©){kind=link}