Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera is one of the youngest inscribed WHS. It was officially opened in 1973 and inscribed as WHS in 2007 (less than 50 years later). As a basic rule, I feel WHS should be timeless. And timelessness can be better judged with adequate temporal distance. For the Sydney Opera House, though, I feel confident that this is a timeless building. On the one hand side, I enjoy the timeless, organic architecture, combing imagery of sails and sea shells. On the other hand side, it's influence on modern urban development cannot be overstated. Wherever a city tries to reinvent itself or create a new landmark, you find a Sydney Opera, e.g. the Opera in Copenhagen (mhew) or the Elbphilharmonie in my home town Hamburg.

We visited Sydney multiple days including New Year's Eve 2020 (NYE or sdNYEy). It's hard to miss the site if you are in town and most parts are open to visitors. If our resident Aussies (Joel and Shandos) are in town, you may even get a WHS tour from a local and catch up with the community. Thanks to Joel and Shandos for being our tour guides :)

Getting There

Assuming you are in Sydney, just walk. The site is open to public and you can walk through it. The concert halls require a ticket to some show, but we managed to get a peek. You can also join a tour. The best views are had from the bridge …

A trip to Sydney is never complete without a visit to the Sydney Opera House, one of the most popular and most visited tourist destinations not only in Australia but arguably in the entire world. Just like any other first timers in the “Land Down Under,” the very first thing I did on my first trip to Sydney (and in entire country-continent of Australia) was to walk my way to this popular man-made Oz-ian destination.

The dynamic harbour seems to be embodied by Jørn Utzon’s design: a playful encounter among the different elements found in the area: the gigantic and very busy Harbour Bridge, the imposing muscle-flexes of sea vessels and ferries, and the graceful dances of the yachts and other smaller boats. Also, the architectural design, almost a sculpture-like artwork, is a reminder of the beautiful natural landscape surrounding the bay.

According to some online sources, the inspirations of Utzon were the gigantic edifices of the Americas – the pre-Hispanic structures of the Mayans and the Aztecs. In a way, the design was envisioned to be a temple where the public gets to connect with the gods. Others suggest that his inspirations were the huge castles of the Scandinavian region, particularly those from Denmark, his home country. Like what I wrote in the previous paragraph, there are narratives that link the building with the natural and cultural landscapes of the city: the cliffs and the sails of the harbour.

At nighttime, the magnificent opera house transforms …

I visited this WHS in January 2018 and literally viewed this landmark from every angle imaginable over 5 days I spent in Sydney. My better half spoilt me rotten for my birthday by booking a great room with a view just opposite the Sydney Opera House (SOH) so I had an excellent view at different times of the day. Sunset and Nighttime views were my favourite.

Already when landing from Uluru, I had a great view of Sydney Harbour and the SOH. There are several viewpoints of this rather modern building but my favourite were from Mrs Macquarie's Chair Lookout, from the Circular Quay Station or the Overseas Passenger Terminal and from the ferry itself (heading towards Cockatoo Island or just opposite to the Luna Park) and from the Pylon Lookout (the view from the entrance - 200 steps below - is just as fabulous and free of charge) on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

While heading towards Mrs Macquarie's Chair Lookout I followed the interesting Sydney Heritage Walk and while heading towards the Harbour Bridge I followed Cahill Walk. Every day at sunset and at 9pm there's a year-round free spectacular seven minute projection, illuminating the Opera House’s eastern Bennelong sail at sunset and 9pm. It's called Badu Gili and it is best viewed from the Podium at the top of the Monumental Steps.

The Sydney Opera House started to be built in 1957 and it opened officially on 20th October 1973. The site had been occupied previously by Fort …

Well, what else is there to say about this WHS? It is so famous, so well-known. One of the most recognizable buildings in the world for sure, and definitely one of my favourites.

I have visited Sydney twice so far (just planning my third trip for next year!) and I remember both times I first saw the Opera House. In 2007 I first saw it from the bus arriving in the city. I was so fascinated of finally seeing that building, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was, the glowing white surface against the deep blue water of the harbour. In 2010 I approached on foot from Pitt Street and suddenly saw glimpses of the Harbour Bridge between the tall buildings. I was so excited, my heart beating wildly, as if I was to meet a long lost lover. Then I did another walk along the bridge, taking as many pictures as a few years ago. I just couldn't get enough of it.

Something I recommend is the tour inside of the Opera House. It was really interesting and nice to see some of the rooms inside. There were also lots of explanations about the architecture that helped me to understand the building and the background.

I have been to The Opera House many times, and have always quite enjoyed my time there. It is worth visiting, even if you are not attending a show. These are reasonably priced, and always great entertainment.

But, if you are spending the day there, I would suggest that you packk a lunch - the nearby food places have ridculously high prices (but some may be worth this price, if you are willing to take the fall).

After now having visited Sydney Harbour including the Opera House, I find it a pity that the nomination that finally got succesful in 2007 only covers the Sydney Opera House. Sydney's Harbour is its greatest asset, both as a magnet for immigrants in the past and for its picturesque setting. The Opera House is a single great building of course, but I was more impressed by the Harbour Bridge.

I "did" Sydney on a half-day bike tour. It took us all along the different quays, over various bridges but always with the fabulous harbour view in sight. The fish market was a worthy stop for a fresh snack.

We cycled around the Opera House too of course. From up close it is more visible that is actually made of 3 sets of "shells" (it looks like one structure from afar). After having read the reviews below, I had decided not to spend another 35 AUS dollar for a tour inside. The complex is very "open" anyway, it is a public building that is used by many.

I was very happy to see the Opera House added to the World Heritage list, it is an exceptional and highly identifiable building with an outstanding setting, in a great city.

The Opera House has an incredible setting backed by the Harbour Bridge on one side and the parkland containing the Botanic gardens and Mrs Macquarie's Chair on the other. This setting is iconic and, along side Prague Castle, sits as the best relationship between the natural and built environments I have seen.

It is perhaps best to view the building as a sculpture for this is where its true greatness lies. The iconic shapes of it shell provide endless joy to wander around. It is a surprise to see that it is made with small hexagonal tiles instead of large pieces of metal. These tiles reflect light and in fact my first glimpse of the Opera House was when we flew over its glow en-route to the airport.

The interior of the building however is does not live up to its exterior, in fact it is a bit of a mess. There is no real relationship between the outside and inside, and the acoustics are apparently quite poor. This contradiction of design may relate to the fact that the architect Jørn Utzon left the project before the interior was started. This was mostly due to political factors during the incredible 16-year building process. These factors were also part of the reason the site was not added to the World …

Next to the Ayers Rock, the Sydney Opera is the most identifiable and well-known Australian landmark, and probably the best-known opera house worldwide, at least in terms of its design. It is also a landmark in 20th century architecture, and of course, its location in exceedingly beautiful Sydney harbour is impossible to top. So any visit to Sydney would be incomplete without at least admiring the building from the outside, preferably from a ferry or a cruiseship. Having said that, I would say that this is also enough, and a visit of the interior of the building is not really necessary. It´s not particularly disappointing, there´s just not a whole lot to see. Still, when in Sydney, do as the Sydneysiders do and go to the opera!