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 land of kangaroos.
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| Located on the Bennelong Point peninsula, the Sydney Opera House is one of the most typical architectural works of the twentieth century. (Source: CNN) |
After 50 years since its official opening on October 20, 10, the Sydney Opera House has hosted thousands of world-famous performances, creating many impressive moments that are deeply imprinted in the audience's minds. Nowadays.
The sail-shaped theater has welcomed the presence of many famous figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Bob Dylan and the band One Direction. Notably, Sydney Opera is also considered a political symbol of Australia, after Pope John Paul II, South Africa's first black President Nelson Mandela and American Presidents all visited this special place. .
It is a fact that this project has gone through many historical ups and downs and resiliently overcome difficulties before achieving its current international influence. Let's look back at 50 memorable years of the Opera House with The World & Vietnam 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 needs of local people to enjoy art.
He launched an international design competition on September 13, 9 and received 1955 entries from 233 countries. Design criteria include a large hall with 32 seats and a small hall with a capacity of 3.000 people. The theater can be used to perform opera, symphonic and choral music, as well as hold large-scale meetings and ballet performances. The competition lasted for 1.200 years and the final victory belonged to Danish architect Jørn Utzon with the design of the current scallop-shaped theater.
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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 project began construction in 1959, with the participation of more than 10.000 workers and 7 million AUD in budget estimates. The theater was scheduled to open on Australia Day (January 26), 1. But due to problems such as increased costs and technical problems, the completion of the project was delayed. These incidents were even the cause of controversy between chief architect Jørn Utzon and local officials, leading to Mr. Utzon leaving the project in 1963.
After 14 long years of overcoming many events, the theater was officially inaugurated on October 20, 10. The ceremony was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and New South Wales Premier Robert Askin, along with millions of Australians.
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| Queen Elizabeth II was present at the inauguration of the Sydney Opera House, welcomed by local people. (Source: NFSA Film) |
It was a special day for the Kangaroo crowd, who enjoyed a spectacular fireworks display and performances by Mornington Island's Lardil native dancers. Everyone beats together in the joyful atmosphere of the momentous event, marking the birth of the architectural masterpiece - the Sydney Opera House.
Witness history
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| Thanks to his great contributions to the people of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in December 12. (Source: Sydney Opera House) |
In October 10, the great leader of South Africa Nelson Mandela went to the Sydney Opera House to make his first speech in 1990 years on Robben Island. He stood in front of 27 Australians and thanked Sydney for speaking out against racism.
Mr. Mandela seemed choked up when he sang the song of liberation across Africa Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika (Lord Bless Africa) said. That same song later became part of the South African national anthem when the country gained independence.
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| The 2000 Sydney Olympics is considered one of the most epic-scale Olympics in world sports history. (Source: AP) |
In the context of Australia hosting the 2000 Olympic Games, the Sydney government chose the Opera House as the opening location for the Olympic Arts Festival. Locals and international audiences have the opportunity to enjoy a performance rich in the cultural identity of the land of kangaroos, with the characteristic sounds of traditional musical instruments didgeridoos and clapsticks.
The event also welcomed the presence of Italian actor Andrea Bocelli, whose name is associated with famous musical works such as Besame Mucho, Time To Say Goodbye, Vivo Per Lay. In addition, ballet dancer Sylvie Guillem, stars of Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet also participated and brought an unforgettable experience to the audience.
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| The red letters on the roof of the Sydney Opera House in 2003 became a political message that attracted international public opinion. (Source: Reuters) |
In March 3, Australia witnessed an unexpected 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 war" on the roof.
The two were later convicted of intentionally causing damage, sentenced to 9 months in prison and had to pay the theater's AUD 151.000 cleaning bill. Later, the couple's belongings, including Dunlop Volley sneakers and paint rollers, were displayed at the Australian War Museum as part of the Iraq war exhibition.
On June 28, 6, the Sydney Opera House was recognized by the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world cultural heritage. UNESCO recognizes the Sydney Opera House as a "bold work, an experiment with a broad vision and influence on the architectural art of the late twentieth century".
This is the youngest work on the list of world heritage sites and for many people, the Sydney Opera has always been an Australian cultural symbol, similar to the Taj Mahal in India, the Eiffel Tower in France or the pyramid in Australia. 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 persevered through the storms and was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II a full circle ago. half a century. 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.
