Read Building

Work is underway to make the Opera House sound as good as it looks. Meet the acousticians solving a 40 year-old problem.

Ever since it was a place for ceremony, gathering and celebration in Aboriginal Australia, Tubowgule has always reflected the society tucked in around Sydney Cove.

His mastery in fusing craft traditions and ancient architecture with modernist thinking infused his designs for the Sydney Opera House.

On 2 March 1959, a crowd gathered under umbrellas, in the rain, to watch the ceremony that marked the start of construction of the Sydney Opera House.

Jørn Utzon's realisation that the form of the Sydney Opera House could be derived from the surface of a sphere marked a milestone in 20th century architecture.

As the sails took shape, Bennelong Point became a battle ground of politics, pragmatism and the quest for perfection.

From Ella Fitzgerald to Bon Iver, Dance Rites Festival to Nelson Mandela’s address from the steps, the Opera House and the extraordinary experiences on our stages reflect our contemporary culture.

We are transforming the building for future generations while respecting and preserving the very features that make it unique.

As we open up the Opera House to more of the community, the Decade of Renewal has helped us live up to the promise of the building itself.

“It’s about saying: we haven’t gone forever, we’re coming back and we’re going to leave the lights on to show you that.”

Each of the 10,244 pipes will be cleaned by hand – it's a tricky job.

Legendary pianist Winifred Atwell was the (incomplete) stage's premiere act

From audience member to performer to podcast host, Zindzi Okenyo has a unique connection with the Sydney Opera House. She shares her relationship with the building, and what it was like to see the Concert Hall emptied out and reinvented up-close for the new season of House Stories.

Find out 15 interesting facts about the Sydney Opera House that you never knew.

One of the world’s great performance venues, the Joan Sutherland Theatre is being renewed for the next generation of artists and audiences.

A film made by the architect of the Opera House en route to Sydney has, until now, never been publicly seen. Lin Utzon recalls the influence and inspiration her father drew from Chinese architecture.

The Horisont exhibition dives into architect Jørn Utzon's travel diaries.

He's the host of LEGO Masters, the only Lego Certified Professional in Australia, and he's constructed the Opera House more than any other building in the world. As we celebrate his latest work – Christmas baubles on the Forecourt – The Brickman reflects on why he loves what he does.

Sydney Opera House BUILD is a new three-part program with the aim of creating a better world through the built environment. Earlier this month, the pilot Tertiary Built Environment Creative Lab saw students from Western Sydney University tackle a future-facing design challenge by collaborating in interdisciplinary teams. Student Emma Moore writes about what she learnt about herself and the Opera House.

The Australian-Danish exchange program imagines what a future icon might look like.

The Opera House’s biggest venue has been closed for two years, yet behind its shuttered doors the beat goes on. The hum of thousands of excited concert-goers has been replaced with the buzz of thousands of workers, busy future-proofing the venue for decades to come.

The halls might be closed, but a newly built virtual stage is broadcasting shows from inside the Sydney Opera House

Sam Doust, Google Arts & Culture curator, reveals his favourite stories from behind the curtain.

Better sound, better access and more ambitious performances will be enabled by a $150 million upgrade and renovations.

What makes a concert sound good? Here's how our acousticians did it.

Peter Hall was one of Australia's brightest young architects at the time he took up the daunting role of design architect to complete Stage Three of Sydney’s new Opera House.