Sails to elevate Australian culture

After 50 years of construction and development, the Sydney Opera House is not only a regular performing arts venue, but has also become an international symbol and cultural heritage of the kangaroo country.

Nhà hát Opera Sydney 50 tuổi: Cánh buồm nâng tầm văn hóa Australia

Located on Bennelong Point peninsula, the Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic architectural works of the 20th century. (Source: CNN)

After 50 years since its official opening on October 20, 1973, the Sydney Opera House has hosted thousands of world- famous performances, creating many impressive moments that remain in the minds of audiences to this day.

The sail-shaped theatre has welcomed the presence of many famous people such as Oprah Winfrey, Bob Dylan and the band One Direction. Notably, the Sydney Opera House is also considered a political symbol of Australia, after Pope John Paul II, the first black President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela and the Presidents of the United States all visited this special place.

It is a fact that this project has gone through many historical ups and downs and has steadfastly overcome difficulties before achieving the international influence it has today. Let’s look back at the memorable 50 years of the Opera House with The Gioi & Viet Nam Newspaper.

The road is full of thorns

In 1954, New South Wales Premier Joseph Cahill convened a conference to build an opera house for Sydney to meet the local people's need to enjoy the arts.

He launched an international design competition on September 13, 1955, and received 233 entries from 32 countries. The design criteria included a 3,000-seat grand hall and a 1,200-seat small hall. The theater could be used for opera, symphonic and choral performances, as well as large-scale meetings and ballet performances. The competition lasted two years and the final winner was Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who designed the current clam-shaped theater.

The total construction area of the theater is up to 1.8 hectares, of which the width is 120m and the height is 183m. The project is built on a solid foundation with 500 tons of concrete located 25m deep under the sea. (Source: Getty Images)

The Sydney Opera House project began in 1959, with more than 10,000 workers and a budget of 7 million AUD. The theater was scheduled to open on Australia Day (26 January) in 1963. However, problems such as cost overruns and technical problems caused delays in completion. These problems even caused disputes between the chief architect Jørn Utzon and local officials, leading to Mr. Utzon leaving the project in 1966.

After 14 years of overcoming many events, the theater was officially inaugurated on October 20, 1973. The ceremony was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and New South Wales Premier Robert Askin, along with millions of Australians.

Queen Elizabeth II attended the opening of the Sydney Opera House, welcomed by local people. (Source: NFSA Film)

It was a special day for the kangaroo people, they enjoyed a spectacular fireworks display and performances by the Lardil indigenous dancers of Mornington Island. All joined in the joyful atmosphere of the important event, marking the birth of the architectural masterpiece - the Sydney Opera House.

Witness of history

Ông trải qua 27 năm tù vì chống Chủ nghĩa Apacthai và trở thành Tổng thống Nam Phi từ tháng Tư 1994.

For his great contributions to the people of South Africa, Mr. Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in December 1993. (Source: Sydney Opera House)

In October 1990, the great South African leader Nelson Mandela came to the Sydney Opera House to make his first speech in 27 years on Robben Island. He stood before 40,000 Australians and thanked Sydney for speaking out against apartheid.

Mr Mandela choked up as the pan-African liberation song Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika (Lord Bless Africa) was played, which later became part of the South African national anthem when the country gained independence.

The 2000 Sydney Olympics are considered one of the most spectacular Olympic Games in the history of world sports. (Source: AP)

In the context of Australia hosting the 2000 Olympic Games, the Sydney government chose the Opera House as the venue for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Arts Festival. Locals and international audiences had the opportunity to enjoy performances rich in the cultural identity of the land of kangaroos, with the distinctive sounds of traditional musical instruments such as didgeridoos and clapsticks.

The event also welcomed the presence of Italian actor Andrea Bocelli, whose name is associated with famous songs such as Besame Mucho, Time To Say Goodbye, Vivo Per Lay . In addition, ballet artist Sylvie Guillem, stars of Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet also participated and brought unforgettable experiences to the audience.

The red letters on the roof of the Sydney Opera House in 2003 became a political message that attracted international attention. (Source: Reuters)

In March 2003, Australia witnessed a surprising event when two peace activists, Dave Burgess and Will Saunders, climbed onto the roof of the Sydney Opera House to protest the Iraq war. They used red paint to write the words “No to War” on the roof.

The pair were later convicted of wilful damage, sentenced to nine months in prison and ordered to pay the theatre’s $151,000 cleaning bill. Their belongings, including a pair of Dunlop Volley trainers and a paint roller, were later displayed at the Australian War Memorial as part of an Iraq War exhibition.

On June 28, 2007, the Sydney Opera House was recognized as a world cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNESCO recognized the Sydney Opera House as a "bold work, a far-sighted experiment and an influence on late 20th-century architectural art".

This is the youngest building on the list of world heritage sites and for many people, the Sydney Opera House is always an Australian cultural icon, similar to the Taj Mahal temple in India, the Eiffel Tower in France or the pyramids in Egypt.

Thus, thanks to the vision of the Premier of New South Wales and the talented hands of the Danish architect, the Sydney Opera House has persevered through the storm and was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II exactly half a century ago. Since that important milestone, the sail-shaped theater has gone through many special historical events and gradually become one of the international cultural and artistic centers.

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