Sydney Opera House

There is a place, a sculpture, that is a building yet also a work of art. It contains one hundred and fifty tons of concrete, and takes a height of about 221 feet, a width of 597 feet, with 66,420 feet of glass surrounding it. This is the Sydney Opera House, located in Sydney, Australia; considered a great architectural wonder.

Built in 1955, it was a challenge called onto the best architects of the world to build an opera house for Sidney, the capital of Australia. Only able to build upon a small strip of land that jets out into the harbor, it must contain 2 concert halls, holding 1000, and 3000 people each. Most importantly, it had to be beautiful.

Indeed it was beautiful when completed -- as the vision of an architect for the building to be made of concrete shells soaring over the harbor as sails of a ship was accepted. His idea won, and so the construction began. It took 15 years to gather enough money and to finish, but standing today is a spectacular work of art.

Jennifer