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Published: December 13th 2005
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Sunday 11th December 2005
Up early 7.30am, breakfast in hotel, then out. We took train from Kings Cross to Martin Place, walked through the city with its high rise blocks of tinted glass, concrete and stainless steel. Walked down to the harbour front and around the key to the Opera House. We did the usual tourist things taking photo's of ourselves in front of the Opera House, walked up the banks of steps onto the podium. Up close, the glistening shells are covered in cream and off white glazed tiles, which have been set out in a chevron pattern.
David had been to the Opera House before, but I decided to do a tour of the inside so booked myself on the 1pm guided tour. The guided tour would take in the inside including the performance areas but not the main Hall; which was being prepared for a Handel Messiah recital.
Our guide Jean told us that Utsen the Danish Architect won a competition in the 1950's but in fact work did not start till around 1960 and the Opera house was eventually completed in the early seventies. His original idea was to make it a centrepiece of
the harbour and to look almost like a ship in full sail. To achieve this he took segments from a sphere and set them upright so that you have 10 shells (looking rather like spinakers on a racing yacht. Unfortunately Utsen resigned once the main structure was completed because he found he could not work with the New South Wales Government at the time as they were constantly trying to trim back the costs, so an Architect called Peter Hall completed the interiors. In recent years the NSW Government has re-established contact with Utsen, now an octogenerian, to redesign one of the performance spaces now completed and called the Utsen Room, they have also asked for his input to increase the size of the second largest performance space by lowering the entire auditorium and stage space to allow better theatre wing space and a larger seating capacity. Utsen is unable to travel now so the negotiations and design meetings are represented by his son.
The construction of the frames of the shells are beams which curve up and join almost like medieval fan vaulting. Each beam was formed of a series of reinforced hollow concrete sections with reinforcement through
the centre then concrete was poured through to link them. This was revolutionary at the time and extremely effective. The tiles previously mentioned on the outside were laid chevron patterned into trays and concreted and grouted in place on the ground then the sections containing 20 or more tiles, were lifted and cramp fixed onto the shells. When it rains the shells are completely self cleaning. Over a million tiles cover the shells.
Although it is called the Opera House it is not just Opera that is performed. There are individual concerts, ballet, contemporary theatre and symphony concerts put on there even Billy Connolly has apeared there. So there you have it one of Sydney's greatest attractions.
After the Opera house our time was spent looking around the Rocks area, a fascinating mixture of old and new and where Sydney grew up from. There is the old Police Station and old hotels pubs and shops, a fascinating mixture. The people who inhabit this area of Sydney are proud of their city and want to keep it saved for posterity. There was also a neat covered market where you can buy anything from a typical Koala souvenir to stamps,
coins and home made artworks in silver. We lingered a while and bought quite a few things to take back. We then went to the Bridge climb office and checked prices and times for the following day. We also walked under the bride by the Rocks and gazed up at the crocodile of people doing the first part of the bridge walk some 100 ft above hmmm!! I had butterflies in the stomach and my palms began to sweat a little.
We returned to circular quay and had a wonderful lunch a seafood platter for 2 with huge prawns, squid, calamari fied in batter (like rubber bands but very edible) and salad, all washed down with a bottle of Brown Brothers Chardonnay, fabulous!! With distended stomachs we found our way to the ferry for Darling harbour and spent a pleasurable 20 minutes sailing under the bridge calling at the North side then we arrived at Darling Harbour and decided to take the Monorail around once which was fun. Then to walk our large lunch off we walked back to Martin Place calling in at the Queen Victoria Building.
The Queen Victoria building is a late 19th century shopping
Mall on 4 floors really very attractive and has great atmosphere. It seems really weird seeing Christmas trees in hot summer weather but in this Mall there was a four storey artificial tree smothered in Zwarovsky crystal decorations. (I couldn't see that staying intact if it was sited in Lakeside or Bluewater back home) Also there was a neat glass case display of Queen Victoria at her Coronation wearing the Imperial state crown with copies of the crown jewels, sword of state, orb, sceptre etc really mind blowing, well worth a look. Another curious display were 2 pianos apparently playing themselves with the keys moving, really spooky and fab and different.
With all the days images whirling in my mind, it was back to the Hotel and sleep!!
Keep logging on folks, the Bridge walk next!!
Richie
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