Building a Masterpiece : ; The Sydney Opera House

Watson, Anne; Jorn Utzon; Et Al

ISBN 10: 0853319413 / ISBN 13: 9780853319412

Published by Lund Humphries Publishers, 2006

About this Item

Half a century has passed since Australia's New South Wales government launched a competition to give Sydney a new music and performance centre. The result of that competition is the magnificent Sydney Opera House designed by the visionary Danish architect Jorn Utzon (b.1918) and the starting point for "Building a Masterpiece: The Sydney Opera House". When construction began, few could have imagined the enduring impact that Utzon's creation would have on Sydney, nor indeed Australia. But any great feat of imagination and ingenuity creates sub-plots, and the Opera House, perhaps more than any other twentieth-century structure of its stature, has generated many. "Building a Masterpiece" explores the many untold chapters in the long history of the Opera House's gestation, development and completion - of individuals whose careers were made or broken by the Opera House, the companies whose reputations were secured through their association with the building, and the pioneering construction methods, innovative technologies and methodologies developed to meet the demands of its unprecedented design and challenging construction. The workers who built the building, the politicians, architects and members of the public who championed it and its often beleaguered architect are discussed too as is its current world status as a symbol of Australia. Comprising an introduction and ten engaging essays, written by eminent authors and experts in the field, this comprehensive and richly illustrated book offers a unique account of the Sydney Opera House and is essential reading for anyone wishing to gain fresh insights into the complex history of this iconic building.

Seller Inventory # 90299

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Building a Masterpiece : ; The Sydney Opera House
• Publisher: Lund Humphries Publishers
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0853319413
• ISBN 13: 9780853319412
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

This richly illustrated book explores new perspectives on the Sydney Opera House’s many stories, encompassing technological and social history, as well as design themes. Through ten engaging essays, written by eminent authors and experts in their fields, Building a Masterpiece explores the history of the Opera House from the international design competition in 1957, through the extraordinary innovations involved in and the saga of its construction, to its opening in October 1973 and its current world status as a symbol of Australia.

About the Author

Anne Watson is Curator of Architecture and Design at the Powerhouse Museum. She has written and lectured widely on many aspects of nineteenth- and twentieth-century design. Her publications include: Decorative arts and design from the Powerhouse Museum (Powerhouse Publishing, Sydney, 1991) as a contributing author, Beyond architecture: Marion Mahony and Walter Burley Griffin in America, Australia and India (Powerhouse Publishing, 1998) as content editor and contributing author; Visions of a republic: the work of Lucien Henry (Powerhouse Publishing, 2000) as a contributing author; and Mod to Memphis: design in colour 1960s-80s (Powerhouse Publishing, 2002).