Decade of Renewal

Interactive story

Renewing an icon

Find out more about the biggest upgrade in Opera House history and how a 10-year program of capital works totalling almost $300 million has transformed this world-famous icon for the 21st century.

Discover the stories

Discover the stories of our decade of renewal, watch videos of the building's transformation and explore galleries of the construction journey.

Stories

“Rebirth and resurrection”

Who better to help reopen the heart of the Opera House than William Barton? The celebrated Kalkadunga musician estimates he has played the venue over 300 times. This week, with clapsticks made from wood salvaged from the stage, he'll perform with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in a triumphant return to the Concert Hall.

In it for the long Hall

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.

Opera House wins accolades for heritage conservation

We are proud to announce that the Opera House received three accolades at the 26th annual National Trust Heritage Awards. A highly-anticipated event, the Awards celebrate excellence in conservation, education, interpretation, advocacy and events, and promote greater appreciation and understanding of heritage.

Work begins to transform Concert Hall for new era

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

Preserving the Grand Organ

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

The work that makes magic: Renewing the Joan Sutherland Theatre

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

Testing the Concert Hall’s acoustic reflectors

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

Birds eye view of Concert hall in Sydney opera house.

Fine-tuning the acoustics of the Joan Sutherland Theatre

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

Restoring the Coburn Tapestries

John Coburn was at the height of his fame when the artist was pitched to architect Peter Hall to design the Sydney Opera House theatre curtains in 1969. Hall had taken over from Danish architect Jørn Utzon and was ushering the building towards completion.

A women assessing the Tapestry cloth in a warehouse.

Video gallery

Image gallery

The beginning, middle and end of the Sydney Opera House doughnuts

The former acoustic stage reflectors, commonly referred to as ‘doughnuts’ were an iconic backdrop for Concert Hall performances for almost 50 years.

During our decade of renewal, they were removed and replaced to make way for acoustic upgrades, however this is not the end of their story.

As part of our plan to conserve, honour and celebrate the doughnuts, we commissioned performance artist Angela Goh to develop a contemporary artwork, The Concert, which shared an interpretive story of the doughnuts, reimagining them as artefacts that connect us to both our history and the future.

Angela Goh, 'The Concert' (2022), moving image, 40:00. Commissioned by the Sydney Opera House as part of New Work Now, enabled by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects. Image courtesy FineArts, Sydney
Angela Goh, 'The Concert' (2022), moving image, 40:00. Commissioned by the Sydney Opera House as part of New Work Now, enabled by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects. Image courtesy FineArts, Sydney
New passageway, which improves accessibility and makes it possible for people with limited mobility to access all levels of the Concert Hall
Special acoustic diffusion panels have been added to the venue’s timber box fronts, allowing for a more balanced and true sound.
New automated stage risers will enable musicians, particularly classical musicians, who typically sit in a horseshoe formation, to hear each other more clearly.
A new lift to the Concert Hall Northern Foyer will improve accessibility, making it possible for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility to independently access all levels of the Concert Hall.
Final touches being made to the Concert Hall stage. The stage has been lowered by 400mm to improve sightlines and create more intimacy between artists and audiences.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra enjoying enhanced acoustics of the renewed Concert Hall. 18 specially-designed acoustic reflectors have been installed above the stage, replacing the clear acrylic ‘donuts’.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra enjoying enhanced acoustics of the renewed Concert Hall. 18 specially-designed acoustic reflectors have been installed above the stage, replacing the clear acrylic ‘donuts’.
Concert Hall stage: The team demolishing the existing stage structure to make way for the renewal upgrades.
Concert Hall stage: The existing Concert Hall stage structure being removed and cleared so the team can work on a raw space.
Concert Hall stage: Before the concrete can be poured, the site needs to be prepared and cleared to make way for new stage technology, including automated stage risers that will improve sightlines for audiences.
Concert Hall stage: The Concert Hall stage being widened to improve backstage access for performers.
Western Broadwalk: A concrete truck and pump inside the hoarded compound on the Western Broadwalk.
Western Broadwalk: A concrete truck unloading into the concrete pump inside the Western Broadwalk compound to transport concrete to the new stage. The drum on the back of the truck is spinning to agitate the concrete and prevent it from setting.
Concert Hall stage: Now that the concrete is level, the concrete can harden and cure, gaining strength.
Concert Hall Eastern Foyer: Some of the granite stairs have been removed to create the entrance point for a new accessible passageway connecting the Southern Foyer to the Northern Foyer.
Concert Hall Eastern Foyer: Some of the granite stairs have been peeled back to allow works to begin on a new accessible passageway connecting the Southern Foyer to the Northern Foyer.
Concert Hall Western Foyer: The granite stairs have been covered to ensure they’re protected during the renewal upgrades.
Concert Hall Southern Foyer: Protective materials have been installed on the wood panelling and granite paving during construction.
Eastern side of Concert Hall Northern Foyer: Carpet on the stairs has been stripped back in preparation for a new lift.
Eastern side of Concert Hall Northern Foyer: Carpet on the stairs has been stripped back in preparation for a new lift.
Concert Hall Auditorium: The brushbox timber box fronts will be replaced with a new acoustic diffusion to provide better sound for performers and audiences.
Concert Hall stage: Now that the concrete is level, the concrete can harden and cure, gaining strength.
Concert Hall stage: While the concrete is being poured, the team are using equipment to level out and vibrate the concrete, making sure there are no voids or air pockets.
Concert Hall stage: Now that the concrete is level, the concrete can harden and cure, gaining strength.
Concert Hall Northern Foyer: After removing the granite steps on level 4, the concrete structure has been carefully cut for the installation of a new accessible lift.
Concert Hall Northern Foyer Level 2: Members of the construction team standing in the new lift entrance before the new lift is installed that will connect all four levels of the Northern Foyer in the Concert Hall.
Concert Hall Eastern Foyer: Some of the granite stairs have been peeled back to allow works to begin on a new accessible passageway connecting the Southern Foyer to the Northern Foyer.
Concert Hall Western Foyer: The granite stairs have been covered to ensure they’re protected during the renewal upgrades.
Concert Hall Southern Foyer: Protective materials have been installed on the wood panelling and granite paving during construction.
Eastern side of Concert Hall Northern Foyer: Carpet on the stairs has been stripped back in preparation for a new lift.
Eastern side of Concert Hall Northern Foyer: Carpet on the stairs has been stripped back in preparation for a new lift.
Concert Hall Auditorium: The brushbox timber box fronts will be replaced with a new acoustic diffusion to provide better sound for performers and audiences.