The Sydney Opera House was a Financial Disaster

[@megaprojects9649]

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[@WilliamCooper-l6f]

Simon, enjoy my poem. 🤗 Battle The Beast The night came quicker than usual, as it caught me by surprise Before I found some shelter, the darkness dimmed my eyes My panicked heart was racing, my legs instinctively took flight I aimlessly ran in circles, in the horror of blackest night In the distance I could hear it, the sound of a terrible beast I could hear its claws scratching, I could see the flash of its teeth There was no way to outrun it, for it traveled on all fours So, faced with just one prospect, I turned and faced the noise The blade I held, had a faint sparkle illumined by distant stars The beast knew I would use it, as it stalked me from afar My wait drug on for an eternity, as I firmly stood my ground But soon it would be over, for I heard approaching sounds Throughout my life, I purposely planned, to never travel at night It was the only way to miss the beast and avoid a deadly fight Yet, life has a sense of justice, not willing to let me cheat those plans From facing the beast who stalks me, from facing what haunts a man A silhouette sprang out of the blackness, striking hard the first blow I vollied back with the tip of my blade, causing the beast to moan Collapsing together, mortally wounded, the dawn began to break I saw the beast that had attacked me, it was myself, in whom I faced Battle The Beast By William Cooper From the book, Coop's Corner Collection Inspirational Stories and Poems Listen to the song Lisa Moo Moo Marie; another poem from this book.

[@user-kc1tf7zm3b]

Great work! I was born and raised in Sydney. The summary given in this Opera House presentation is truthful, fair and balanced. 🦘🇦🇺

[@jsleeio]

other Sydney Opera House trivia: the biggest events it has hosted were outside, like the famous Crowded House concert in 1996 with 250k attendees. Also for some of the year it has a resident long-nosed fur seal named Benny who lounges in the sun at the northern VIP steps which are quite close to water level

[@BarrySuridge]

🦭

[@adam872]

And the iconic Thin Lizzy show from the late 70's

[@thetentmedia665]

Only reason anyone goes there is to see benny

[@ceg8677]

Every time I’m on the Manly ferry, I make sure to sit on the right-hand side to see if Benny is there

[@timmmahhhh]

Interesting if it's just one seal, which sounds like San Francisco's Pier 41 though that attracts several seals.

[@adam872]

The Opera House is one of those rare situations where you go: hang the expense, it was totally worth it. I love that place.

[@peterwilliams6289]

The Opera House was built without a carpark. This was later remedied by drilling a huge, vertical cylindrical shaft nearby and installing an 8-level double-helix carpark - which is a pretty unique construction in its own right. If you drive down to the bottom of the spiral, you only actually travel every second level, then you cut across the bottom and spiral up the intermediate levels.

[@gomahklawm4446]

This is almost every carpark in Asia is done. Not for apartments usually, but malls etc.

[@siewheilou399]

And Lexus parking priority.

[@createdforthemoment6740]

It was, and may still be the deepest basement in the world

[@GeoMeridium]

@@createdforthemoment6740 Most of the parking garages in Delhi/Gurgaon are underground like that, though I don't know if any are 8 stories deep.

[@Phase52012]

I didn't know that! The last I heard about a carpark for the Opera House was a plan to damn Farm Cove, dig down, build a car park, seal it and then remove the damn.

[@wittibear]

Being Sydney born and having lived here all my life, I would have been 3 when the Opera House opened. I have attended operas, concerts and celebrations both in and on its steps. I have even performed on one of its stages and taken young choirs to perform there. It brings tears to my eyes to visit such a wonderful venue and I could not imagine my city without its iconic “sails”.

[@ceg8677]

I was involved in the NSW State music camps at 10 and 11 years old (2002/2003) and performed on the main stage with the orchestra in both years. Some of my fondest memories are of hanging out in the green room, learning about performance etiquette, feeling the power of the choir surround us as we played. I’ve also played in orchestras at Sydney Town Hall, Angel Place and the Seymour Centre; none of them compare to the Sydney Opera House ♥️

[@brianhill3765]

Love your work Simon. I grew watching being built, we had school excursions to the sites. I stood in the same position as the Queen 24 hours before opening, workman were still building the handrail she stood at. 10 years later I was architectural student in final year, I devoted my last assignment to the buildings construction and politics. We Australians are tight about spending, the technology was ahead of its time and experimental, of course its going to blow out. I met sites worker and designers all had interesting stories.....how did the crane workers go to the toilet...bag it and a big throw out the windows. I have been under it archives, around it but regrettably not in the main public space....I don't know why😢. My 6 year old daughter knocked herself out when she blindly ran into angled glazing....she hates the place. Bye

[@alpang6161]

My friend works for the acoustic consulting firm that designed the internal acoustics of the opera house. Apparently it was an absolute mess of a opera house to make it acoustically sound wbere the architect made it borderline impossible to make the internal sound of the opera hall sound acceptable

[@kenoliver8913]

It is a fabulous building in a fabulous setting - worth every penny. But viewed strictly and solely as an opera house and concert venue - the original intent in building it - it is distinctly mediocre. The acoustics are not good, and the usable interior far too small and cramped.

[@rubiconnn]

Architects will ruin buildings. A building's primary purpose should be function, not form. Any architectural changes that are added for aesthetics and not function are pointless.

[@darylcheshire1618]

@@rubiconnnThat would be a folly.

[@guycross493]

Form follow function, only then you'd add makeup to make it look prettier

[@alpang6161]

@@rubiconnn completely disagree. You can have beautifully designed buildings that follow both form and function. You need an intelligent architect that works in tandem with the rest of the engineering team to accomplish this. The new Shanghai Opera House that's being built looks absolutely phenomenal and they're working heavily with the acoustical engineering team to ensure the primary function is maintained. We would live in an incredibly bland cities if we didn't have architects pushing unique designs into different buildings. By your logic of function over form and removing any architectural design, we would all live in concrete boxes reminiscent of old Soviet Russia brutalist designs. I can almost guarantee you nobody would want that. Even my friends who loves brutlism still appreciates art deco and modernism in architecture

[@martinavery3979]

There were 2 controversial, expensive projects in Australia at the time. The Opera House & the purchase of 24 F-111C fighter bombers for 240 million after cost blow outs. The F-111s are long gone, the Opera House keeps on giving

[@gregedwards1087]

Most of what is left of 23 of the F-111's are buried just outside of Ipswich, near Amberley Airbase, at Swanbank landfill site, so they are still kind of with us, nowhere near as pretty though. 😂😂😂😂😂

[@whythesadface]

I saw an F-111 perform an after burn vertical climb above the SOH during the Australia Day evening 1988.

[@doug3512]

They retired the F111's thirteen years ago. So, they did have them in use for 37 years.

[@newsgetsold]

But military assets can also be arguably invaluable, especially if they are providing protection for freedom and economic prosperity. And what about their value even just from aerial displays and even now and forever as museum pieces.

[@ruseriousdownunder4888]

Australia kept the F-111s going long after even the US retired them so we tried to get our money’s worth!

[@daveacbickford]

I'm happy to share that as a Sydneysider I've been fortunate enough to witness a few events and performances here and everything about the experience is just magical - not simply just the performances themselves with the acoustics that are an audio delight - but the visuals, from the stunning interior of the main hall to the fantastically retro fitout and hardware inside, the style is quite a product of its time and it's all the more enjoyable because of it, and on an emotional level it represents an Australia and a Sydney that was growing in leaps and bounds, even if that time is well before I was born, it's still so easy to appreciate it. A must visit for anyone visiting our City 😊😊🇦🇺

[@Equine_moon]

🇩🇰Definitely one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and a silhouette that’s recognized world wide. As a dane I’m very proud of it! Think about the shape, and what it reminds people of, sails, shells etc., but more importantly what it doesn’t; it’s not a phallic powerplay, not a mausoleum, not another revival of gothic style, not Brutalism. It’s organic flowing timelessness all of it’s own and I applaud Sydney for building it!

[@JIMDEZWAV]

👍👍

[@andrewthomas695]

You should be proud. Jørn Utzon was a genius and a visionary.

[@bomonsted7832]

As a(nother) Dane, I could not agree more. A shame that when we had the opportunity for something great and iconic of our own, when building a new opera house in Copenhagen, we ended up with something that is, at best, totally forgettable. Fortunately we have other great architectural masterpieces in Copenhagen 😊

[@adam872]

Yes, it's great for all of those reasons. It's a magnificent structure that a great many Australians are very proud of.

[@colinr1960]

The most iconic building in the world. We loved it so much we gave you a Queen! 😀😀😀

[@ashleybellofsydney]

The Sydney Opera Hose opened in 1973. That was 51 years ago. Any 'financial disaster' would have been averted a million times over since then. The value of the Sydney Opera House is iconic, priceless and legendary.

[@dingobonza]

Maybe to the people of Sydney. Most of us Aussies couldn't give 2 shits about the opera house purely because it's in Sydney which is easily the most hated part of Australia by Australians.

[@ashleybellofsydney]

@@dingobonza From Logan, Queensland, are you?

[@glencoe1266]

@@dingobonza LOL jelousy is what runs through the veins of so many aussies.

[@blastoiseddr]

​@@dingobonzaits part of the offer that attracts nearly 1 million visitors every year.

[@josephforest7605]

I recall watching a talk show in the U.S. and how they were laughing at what a disaster the Opera House is .

[@ronferguson9695]

Videos, photos, seeing it on television just doesn’t do it justice! When you see it for the first time, it’s absolutely breathtaking. I know that sounds ridiculous to say that about a building, but it really is! Words don’t really do it justice either! As you enter Sydney Harbour, you’re greeted by the Opera House. Its beautiful white shells glistening in the sun, surrounded by the ocean blue waters of the harbour. As an Aussie, it really is something very special to me! 🇦🇺

[@patpierce4854]

Stunning works of architecture really are breathtaking! I recently got to see the Guggenheim in New York City, and was totally blow away from the outside, long before going indoors. No doubt folks in Athens felt the same way about their Acropolis, as did Romans about their Coliseum, Egyptians about their pyramids, and many thousands who saw the world’s great cathedrals, mosques, and temples grow from an idea to a huge edifice.

[@elroyfudbucker6806]

A few facts: The NSW state lottery paid for most of the construction, so it kind of was taxpayers money. It was built on the site of the old Bennelong point tram terminus. Utzon took inspiration from the inside of a walnut shell for the interior, which, although expensive, would probably have made for good acoustics.

[@jackson857]

As an Australian who doesn't live in Sydney it is most definitely worth it. Iconic.

[@aaronhrynyk]

It’s a perfect icon of Australia: what’s more soft and annoying than opera? Nothing. Perfect.

[@Elitist20]

@@aaronhrynyk Triggered?

[@darylcheshire1618]

I live in Melbourne and in 1965 I went on a holiday to what was before the Gold Coast and then on the way home (via Gosford freeway) rode on a Sydney ferry and saw the partially completed opera house.

[@RoderickEmanuel-m7d]

It can be synergy Hopna . Make wow.

[@MrDan708]

As a general rule, projects like this rarely get done under budget and almost always blow past the budget by a mile.

[@maxM38383]

Finally a Megaproject outside of the US I've actually been able to visit and get a backstage tour of.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

inda like how the Louvre Pyramid became a Parisian icon despite being ridiculed at first! The Grand Louvre project was announced in 1981 by François Mitterrand, then President of France. In 1983 the Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei was selected as its architect. Besides this, Pei also designed pyramids for Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the East Building of DC's National Gallery of Art. The pyramid completed in 1989 was initially designed by Pei in late 1983 and presented to the public in early 1984. The pyramid and the underground lobby beneath it were created because of deficiencies with the Louvre's earlier layout, which could no longer handle the increasing number of visitors on an everyday basis. The construction of the pyramid triggered many years of lively aesthetic and political debate, stating the modernist style is inconsistent with the classic French Renaissance style, the pyramid being an unsuitable symbol of death from ancient Egypt, the project being megalomaniacal folly imposed by François Mitterrand, and saying a non-French guy like IM Pei shouldn't have been trusted with updating a treasured French landmark. On top of this, there was a myth that the pyramid purposefully had 666 panes despite the official number of panes being 673. Designed to handle 4.5 million visitors a year, the pyramid eventually proved inadequate and it was renovated in 2014.

[@adenwellsmith6908]

I would say by luck. You have to offset that by the monstrosity of the Pompidou centre

[@dontpanic716]

I'd say its pretty fitting for a building housing dirty laundry and blank canvasses as their art@@adenwellsmith6908

[@andrewthorpe3219]

If you saw what was there before, the Sydney Opera House is a millionfold improvement. It was a tram shed made of black stone that called like a child's clay model of a castle.

[@Skremn01]

And was a fort before that.

[@ytzpilot]

I don’t have issue with the building it is a landmark, what is puzzling is that the Australians built an opera house to this scale meanwhile Australians have absolutely no reputation anywhere in the world for Opera, it’s not like the Italians were saying how great Australia is at opera!!! In fact no one thinks Australia is good at opera 😂

[@ytzpilot]

@@jurgentreue1200 that makes it two things Australians are not known for, 1 can’t sing opera, 2 no sense of humour 🤣🤣🤣

[@jurgentreue1200]

@@ytzpilot ,, ,,, the Sydney Opera House is more than just opera. It's multipurpose performing art centre and a UNESCO Heritage site. It's also used as function and conference centres, has restaurants, a cinema, and professional recording studio. Some of the biggest crowd drawers were from pop/rock concerts. Over 100,000 people at a Crowded House concert in the grounds of the Opera House in 1996.

[@ytzpilot]

@@jurgentreue1200 you did read my first line didn’t you??? I’ve been there I know about it, get a sense of humour dummy 🤣🤣🤣

[@OzMate79]

I’ve heard stories of blokes working on the opera house, coming into work and clocking on then going to the pub for the day then clocking off and going home. I think it took an engineering team come in to start getting stuff done.

[@gladlawson61]

The Tradiies own Australia. They're untouchable

[@nickbob2003]

Those must have been some fun work days lol

[@sindrek8]

Thats so Australian that I can believe it

[@LesBell]

Bloody accountants, eh?

[@GLxGL]

That’s just a typical Australian workplace. Some of us still do it

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Reminds me how the Guggenheim Museum by Frank Lloyd Wright in NYC faced just as harsh criticism and difficulties before being viewed as the NYC icon that it is today. When plans were first unveiled for the building, they were highly controversial among artists. Many felt that the curved walls of the building weren’t appropriate for displaying art, and this prompted 21 artists to send a letter to the director of the museum asking them to reconsider their plans. Besides this, the building's construction was delayed, first because of WWII material shortages, then by increasing construction costs after the war. By late 1946, Guggenheim and Hilla von Rebay had redesigned the basement theater to accommodate concerts. Rebay and Wright disagreed over several aspects such as how the paintings were to be mounted. Solomon Guggenheim's health was in decline, but he refused Wright's offer to downsize so it could be completed during Guggenheim's lifetime. After Solomon died in 1949, members of the Guggenheim family had personal and philosophical differences with Rebay. Then the collection grew, and Wright had to redesign it again as a multi-story annex to incorporate a remodel of an apartment building they acquired (though this annex wasn't realized until the 1990s). Then James Johnson Sweeney became museum director in 1952, and he had a strained relationship with Wright because of the museum's lighting and color scheme (originally it was brownish yellow). Wright passed in April 1959, and the museum opened six months after.

[@luisderivas6005]

Chrissy Amphlett met Mark McEntee at a concert at the Sydney Opera House in 1980 and they formed the Divinyls. This alone makes the project all worth it IMHO.

[@videowilliams]

"The construction of the Opera House was an opera in itself" got said so often over the years that in the end an actual opera called “The Eighth Wonder” was composed which premiered inside the Opera Hall in 1995, returned for an encore in 2000 and again in 2016 retitled "Sydney Opera House: The Opera" amusingly enough. Its website bills it as "Australia's most enduring full scale opera." That building truly is a gift that keeps on giving.

[@boatlover1875]

This reminds me a lot of the Boston Big Dig. I visited Sydney a few years ago and was fascinated by the whole story and awed by my tour. Before moving to Boston just before the end of construction, I though they Central Artery project was a total waste of money, at then end, it transformed the city even as it continued to have a few glitches. The value of the current parkland vs. the rusty bridges through downtown is not calculable.

[@cinemaipswich4636]

Build it and they will come. This is one example that it was true. Show a picture of it to some remote village, and they will recognise it. If you look at the shells you will notice that there are 14 forms that make up all the roof structure. Once the Australian engineers started to understand this unique structure, even they said Utson was a genius.

[@Nathan-vt1jz]

A project like this was successful because it became iconic and culturally important, not so much because of financial profitability.

[@vintageradio3404]

The Sydney Opera House was funded by a lottery which went on for many years after the facility was completed and open. Yes, it cost a lot, but no one person is really to blame for it. Today, it is Sydney's most visited tourist attraction.

[@rosmeeker1964]

If you won the lottery you were set. If you lost you got an opera house. Much better than the gambling arrangements of today.

[@Rhythmattica]

And to Think..... They sold off the State Lotteries to just another privatised company... Go Figure.... Like Utilities, we the people own, sold to Private companies and to OS consortiums.. Because competition is good.... LOL.... Yes.. if its a Cafe.. But Hospitals? Utilities like Electricity ? Damn... Liberals really fkd it all up. Sold it all....

[@theymademedoitiswear]

even without watching the video i can tell you it was worth it. However much it costed at the time, its been a driving force behind tourism in Sydney for like 50 years. Hard to even quantify how much money that is. Australia is far away from the rest of the world, we need iconic landmarks like that as drawing cards.

[@ausboof]

We live on Philip Island. Taking our kid to the house this summer was awesome, something we are proud of. Been to London, Stockholm, Paris... Sitting at the Opera House having a beer overlooking the harbor....bucket list cool...not better, but just as amazing as any other place on this plant I've seen.

[@gslim7337]

Considering what I know of NSW public works, this project went smoothly.

[@phunk8607]

😂 yep… look at the light rail

[@2chuck]

Besides being a beautiful venue it is a magnificent Icon and it caught my attention and encouraged me to start researching a trip to Sydney from the U.S.. I've been around it, inside and out and it's amazing. I wonder how many Tourists it's caught the attenenion of and resulted in a visit as it did for me. I've been to Sydney twice now and found a whole lot more than the beautiful Opera House, but maybe I wouldn't have planned a trip in the first place if it wasn't there to catch my attention. Sydney is now my favorite City. I think Sydneysiders will agree and say it was definitely worth it.

[@katehobbs2008]

It was a hugely brave and visionary step to select Utzon’s design. Despite the difficulties it became a unique and stunning building, standing out into the harbour like a ship in full sail. It is recognised world-wide as an icon of Sydney.

[@chrisnewman7281]

to put it into perspective, anybody that can remember as far back as the 2000 Olympics will know that the Opera house was prominent on the logo for the games the Opera house Matt may have been expensive, but in terms of PR it continues to deliver each and every year in terms of the number interstate and international tourist that come to see it

[@peterwilliams6289]

One fun rumour was that by its completion, they had lost 6 rooms - there are over 1000 in total and at complex multiple levels. 🙂 For example there are multiple curved corridors of soundproof practice rooms branching off from the Green Room that sits between the main sails, so it's easy to imagine the occasional storeroom or such being lost in pre-computer days. The building started around when I was born and was opened when I finished secondary school.

[@bluegold1026]

I had no idea Utzon was involved in such drama regarding his own creation. At least he was reconciled with and honored with a room in his name.

[@humanonetoo]

Dinner and a concert at the Sydney Opera House should be on everyone's bucket list. I was there last Saturday night and the evening was spectacular!

[@darylcheshire1618]

FYI Joe Cahill was the premier who decided to scrap the Sydney trams. The Cahill Expressway is the ugly highway construct that runs above Circular Quay Railway Station. There were proposals to demolish it all, I’m not sure what happened to that. Probably don’t want to bite the bullet. Scrapping trams was part of a worldwide trend at the time with people in the papers saying “that’s progress”. Melbourne was seen as primitive in not doing the same.

[@mskaarupj]

My gut feeling is that buses are more efficient than trams on a cost per passenger basis and this study finds this as well www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2003/01/23/768017.htm , but I agree that they should be replaced with metro lines, buses and bike lanes rather than highways. Copenhagen scrapped trams around 1970 and my impression is that that was a beneficial decision overall.

[@chrisboxsell4981]

Melbourne was smart

[@darylcheshire1618]

@@chrisboxsell4981 Main reason was that Robert Risson believed in the tramways and improved it over the years. If the government wanted to scrap the tramways they should have replaced Risson with a bean counter. Probably a different topic, the SEC inherited several town electricity trusts which included the tramway service. The SEC wasn’t interested in running trams so let them go. Probably every town/city (with trams) has it’s own story.

[@anushkawikramanayake5346]

Apparently they are going to scrap it - there's been some proposals shopped around and seemingly accepted, but time shall tell I suppose.

[@nickbowd]

Was fortunate to play the first gig at the opera house after its recent refurb. The sound previously was plagued with issues do to the NSW government not fulfilling utsons wishes. The reverb cost hundreds of millions of dollars and was worth every penny of it. It’s now exceptional and we should all be pleased they properly finished this exceptional icon!

[@pedroperez6676]

So they lost a great financial opera-tunity

[@linda10989]

Ba-dum tiss! Couldn't resist, lol

[@tankourito5419]

Wa wa waaaaaowow

[@personzorz]

They were financially opera-essed

[@dianapennepacker6854]

Gay!

[@Jameson1776]

@@dianapennepacker6854yes you are.

[@stevenlee3278]

I feel so lucky to live within walking distance and be able to see it from my balcony. I’ve also seen a show in every single performance space, and during COVID while stood down from my main job, I had the opportunity to be able to work in the opera house which was such a memorable experience!

[@andrewrobinson5837]

The Opera House is just an absolutely amazing place to be of an evening. Before or after a show, the views of the harbour are totally amazing, and the interior is a delight. Another fun fact...using water from the harbour for the cooling should rust the pipes. However, they are apparently protected by blocks of 'sacrificial' zinc, which corrode first and are then replaced!

[@henrybrandt1057]

It is truly a spectacular venue and has to be seen in person to truly appreciate it. The location on the bay is just magical. I highly recommend taking the behind the scenes tour for the best understanding of this fantastic complex.

[@jamesfisher667]

Please do a video on the Santa Susana field laboratory. You have mentioned it a few times across your channels. It definitely deserves it's own video. I've lived within a few miles of it for 30 years and know that what your writers/researchers will find would be astounding.

[@professornuke7562]

Clive James famously got in trouble for reporting the wings beside the stage in the main theatre were too small to mount full-scale operas and ballets, because there was no room for the company to go at the ends of scenes and for set changes. They'd litterally have to queue to get off stage!

[@geraldwainer1767]

Theatres are never built with the stage in the foyer...bizarre though evidently part of firing Utzon. Stage should be the back of the building with space for side stages, rear stage and set delivery space. So Sydney eradiated all those necessities of a modern opera house. Sets have to be lifted onto the stage from below. And as you say, no wings.

[@chrisboxsell4981]

@@geraldwainer1767 the stage was changed by Hughes, made it smaller and caused these issues

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

On 28 June 2007, the Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, having been listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate since 1980, the National Trust of Australia register since 1983, the City of Sydney Heritage Inventory since 2000, the New South Wales States Heritage Register since 2003, and the Australian National Heritage List since 2005. The Opera House was also a finalist in the New7Wonders of the World campaign list.

[@soakupthesunman]

Globalist opinion is not made official by mere judgement of globalist jet set pultroons. It's an entitlement of the tax spending crowd. 🤡

[@robertmarchand1346]

This was a good one Simon. Thanks brother. Keep up the great work...

[@handyandyaus]

You have to physically see it to appreciate its beauty and how astoundingly well it fits in with Sydney Harbour.

[@alekspen]

As an Aussie, I am proud this building exists in our country. It’s one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world. Just undervalued by the rest of the world

[@sergeikorolevGZ]

"undervalued by *ignorants* round the world", the rest of us (and whomever with a pair of working eyes) think is amazin... Too bad that, from Spain, can't check the acoustics, bet i'd shit my pants

[@EatMyShortsAU]

I feel like it is overvalued. It is a great building but I feel like more was sacrifice building the Harbour Bridge and Snow Mountain Scheme.

[@timmmahhhh]

Oh no, it's not undervalued, it's probably overvalued. How many people outside of Sydney can name any other landmarks beyond the opera house and the bridge? Honestly I can't but as an American, I hope to go there someday and be able to learn much more about the city. But I'll definitely come here no question.

[@chuckbisbee7520]

There are few buildings or statuary in the world that so dramatically captures a country's spirit and pride as does the opera house. A picture of it and the bridge instantly says Sydney, or Australia to anyone who views it. It could have been so different if it was not built.

[@gridley]

Not undervalued by me, nor is it overvalued. Jørn Utzon's only shortcoming was not creating better spaces acoustically. But that's been a common flaw for over 100 years with most concert halls.

[@bak4320]

Great vid, thanks for the story. the Gehry quote was ironic as hes cut from the same crazy design mold

[@paulbo9033]

I'm shocked they allowed advertising on it. That would be like having an advert on The White House, Buckingham Palace, Taj Mahal, or The Imperial Palace, etc absolutely mental. The wrecking ball of commercialism in a nut shell.

[@TerryT304]

The Government recently spent close to $300 Million redoing the interiors of the 2 main halls, more than the initial cost. Improved acoustics, new stage equipment, improved accessibility for disabled. On time for the 50th anniversary and on budget. No one complained and the acoustics now are fantastic.

[@anushkawikramanayake5346]

We have public elevators now that to the upper levels of the venues. And we are getting a set of escalators this year. Long overdue.

[@jamesmcpherson1590]

Extraordinary episode! Very well done! Thanks for producing it.

[@ljenk5]

The inside of the Opera House has just been re done over covid, opening recently, fixing all the acoustic problems, looks and sounds fantastic, you should come on down and see it!! - Sydney

[@chrisboxsell4981]

Yes they moved it back towards the original design

[@TheTralfaz]

back in the early 70's I would regularly climb the easternmost sail and sit at the top smoking spliffs. I nearly came a cropper once, when on the descent, when one of my feet got snagged in my flares,...a scary moment.....you could'nt get away with it these days...too much security...back then , nobody imagined someone would even think of doing such a thing

[@vincentashton5134]

As an Australian, this building really represents an annual tradition held on Boxing Day. It’s the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, which the building sort of looks like a sailing yacht. It may have costed a pretty penny, but it looks pretty good.

[@tankourito5419]

Fair play. Nothing wrong with national pride. Personally I don't like it, but then again I don't even like Big Ben or the palaces and I'm English. I prefer natural beauty. That's just me though.

[@MadDragon76]

That's the same logic kings used to build palaces. I would argue y'all could be much more proud of your nation if they had spent said funds on your people instead of a vanity project.

[@davidpe76]

With the amount of money Pollies waste each year, they didn't totally f*ck this one up haha

[@Jmvars]

cost*

[@Nikephorus]

Despite being a financial disaster, I'd still argue it was worth it. That building is iconic and almost everyone worldwide recognizes and connects it with Australia. Not many buildings around the world can pull that off.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

0:55 - Chapter 1 - The vision 2:45 - Mid roll ads 3:50 - Chapter 2 - Trouble brewing 8:45 - Chapter 3 - Sydney's icon 11:00 - Chapter 4 - A lasting legacy

[@lesklower7281]

As a Sydney sider what a magnificent building and as a courier in and around Sydney made many deliveries to the Sydney Opera House

[@Henchman_Holding_Wrench]

I wonder how much money it has generated just by postcards and keychains alone.

[@graceygrumble]

I love it. My mother used to say "You never regret an extravagance!". So, the iconic 'Nuns in a Scrum' was worth it... eventually.

[@matthewcombs5387]

Absolutely worth it

[@rhysiieboii]

10 years late and 1400% more expensive than planned? Sounds like Australia alright.

[@anushkawikramanayake5346]

Fun fact: the cooling piping with all the water from the harbour allows for sustainable cooling on super hot days - which we have a lot of - and adds to the 6 star green rating that we have. It also feeds the A/C supply making the cooling super nice. There are special tours you can do to go below sea level and see how the cooling works :)

[@orterves]

The number of tourists - even just internal tourism alone - that it drives to Sydney makes it more than worth it. That's the good thing about public funding - the building in and of itself doesn't need to make money, the general benefits to the economy of the area (for a building this iconic, that area is all of Australia) can count to its value. The ads projected onto the Opera House are bullshit though. Edit: turns out the video makes my point at the end, and just as well - it's correct

[@gomahklawm4446]

The ads are so tacky......omg.....very western though.....ruin anything for a buck....

[@timothywolfe9335]

Great video as always Simon and staff. 😊 Keep up the good work 👏

[@kennethdemarest2878]

Thanks!

[@granmahurt3397]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Simon. I've been looking forward to your take on this

[@Rad9000]

The timeless tale of bureaucrats being the enemy of art. By the way, that billboard idea was instituted on The Sphere in Las Vegas. I would be PISSED as a resident.

[@eric_d4073]

The outside is gorgeous, but the inside is a disaster plagued by terrible acoustics, bad sightlines, limited space backstage, etc. etc. In this regard it was a waste of money because it does not achieve the goal of being a first rate venue. If only the new government had just stuck with it and supported the vision, then it truly would have been magnificent. Such a shame that the interior will never live up to the exterior.

[@daveg2104]

They just spent lot of money "fixing" the interior, including acoustics and accessibility (because that wasn't really a thing when it was designed and built), bringing it closer to the original vision. Before he died, Utzon created a design brief/guideline to inform future changes that may be required for the building.

[@allisonbergh4429]

Anybody who hasn’t seen the SOH 50th anniversary thing, you should absolutely check out Tim Minchin’s song “Play It Safe”

[@mutualbeard]

The Sydney Opera House's building and it's controversies was the backdrop of my childhood. I remember sitting on the grass at Milson's Point and watching the opening. Today, as a sixty four year old, I look at her and am still impressed and so glad that Premier Cahill made a risky architectural decision all those years ago.

[@nickashton3584]

concert hall acoustically reengineered recently, Utzon's internal design revived, been there for orchestral concerts a few times, it' wonderful

[@bernadetteP9999]

Sydneysider here. One minute in and I will watch the whole thing but at the starr you posed the question if it was worth it.... The answer is a uniformed YES. Bright blue Sydney day the view is unmatched with the coathanger and the sparkling harbour. Looking forward to the watch here though ❤

[@sacredgeometry]

Worth it. Its iconic and gorgeous.

[@muffinandme1]

They funded the Opera House with the Sydney Oprra House Lottery. I can't remember if it was a monthly, fortnightly or weekly lottery, but the important thing is that whatever the ultimate cost of the Sydney Opera House Lottery, it was paid off well ahead of schedule. It was started is January 1958 as a means of raising revenue for the Opera House and the last one was drawn in September 1986, because by then all cost had been covered. I can't remember how far ahead of schedule it was paid off, but it was a significant figure. In that respect it doesn't really matter what cost blow outs there might have been, because in the end, all revenue was recovered by means of the lottery. Tickets cost $10 and the first prize was $200,000.

[@davidkymdell452]

I always flying into Sydney and seeing, especially after a good rain when the sun comes out. A jewel in Sydney's hat. Wouldn't be the same without it.

[@theairstig9164]

Midnight oil red sails in the sunset album cover . The red sails are the Sydney Opera house covered in dust from the centre of Australia after an apocalyptic war. The first track mentions something else very Polish… spoilers

[@chrisboxsell4981]

You missed the key parts. The building was started by the NSW Labor government, the issues started with Sir Davis Hughes, the Liberal (conservative) government came in and change it all, as with everything the LNP touches the screwed it up. The main hall was shrunk, the stage had amazing equipment for the time which was all thrown out and was designed acoustically to work well. Hughes ( i knew him and he always told everyone he built the Opera house) and his hubris destroyed the building causing the acoustic issues and driving prices up etc. Recently rectifying his screw-ups cost us over 300 million dollars, they dug down to expand, added car parking and updated the building including correcting the acoustics and returning the building back towards the original design. The problems with the building stem from conservative politics hubris and right to rule beliefs.

[@jayvee2792]

As a person born in Sydney and lives here.. Even if it cost 4 times the finished amount….. It would still be worth it, as it’s so beautiful, unique and inspiring

[@maxwellt91]

My dad sang in the Sydney opera house when I was very young. I got to explore it. Very good memory

[@davannaleah]

From memory, there was the Opera House Lottery, which helped fund the construction costs, however, Utzon's original design was extensively modified and many construction techniques basically had to be invented to build the thing, all adding to the cost. Well... It exists now and has been here for 50 years, so it's the maintenance issues now that will really define if it was worth it or not.

[@IanGorton]

The Opera house also indirectly led to a change in Lottery laws. Winners names and addresses use to be freely published. This led to an infamous kidnapping and murder. As a result the laws were changed to allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.

[@Anazecria]

I wondered why this was not mentioned in this video. Perhaps a topic for one of the other podcasts? It's a big enough subject on its own.

[@IanGorton]

​@Anazecria it would be a topic in and of itself

[@juliatarrel1674]

As an Australian, I both love and hate our mating turtles. It's as iconic an image of Australia as the kangaroos. It's extremely photogenic - even an amateur using nothing but their phone camera can make a spectacular image of the opera house at sunset. It's in a location in the harbour where it can anchor one end of a shopping-and-culture district. The "city centre" has become a paved and decorated plaza from the opera house, including a variety of cultural buildings, a major shopping district, Circular Quay (a set of docks focussing on passenger vessels), and The Rocks (a historic area preserving some of the first buildings from the European landing). And it's a pain to maintain.

[@thebackyardbrewer5611]

And now a former Australian born here is the queen of Denmark! And the opera house itself is an international icon, regardless of any real or perceived flaws or any controversy abouts its planning or construction, it is in essence the most iconic opera house of any city in the world and for that alone it has fulfilled its purpose. And the tourist income alone that its generated has more than made up for its cost.

[@enigmadrath1780]

0:12 I've only ever seen photos/footage of it from the front. I always thought it was one triangular shaped building😅

[@patton3338]

Fun fact, the transition chime in these videos is the same chime used for announcements in Australian airports. This video is fitting, because Megaprojects already reminded me of Sydney Airport every time I hear it.

[@margaretingleby679]

Just a stones throw away from the Opera House , then Prince Fredrick of Denmark met an Aussie girl , Mary Donaldson , they are now the King and Queen of Denmark , that is another link to Denmark besides Jorn Utzon .

[@garydargan6]

The first performance at the Opera house happened before even the sails were up. Paul Robeson who had been blacklisted in America as a result of Senator McCarthy's purges of supposed communists was on a world tour sponsored by the international labour movement. The workers downed tools while he addressed them and sang from an improvised stage.

[@garydargan6]

The glass windows were cut from large sheets of laminated plate glass at the then fantastic cost of $6000 a sheet. The problem was that they kept breaking when they were cut to fit. The glass company I worked for back then worked out that they were simply pushing the sheets through the saws too fast causing the laminations to overheat and burn, cracking the glass.

[@Jkend199]

I don't know how Australians view the Opera House, but as an American I view it like the Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty, to me it is THE ICONIC SYMBOL of Australia.

[@timbo5053]

Thats pretty much how we view it too.

[@adam872]

Most Australians love it and see it as a symbol of our country

[@Harldin]

I would put Uluru (Ayres Rock) alongside it as iconic symbols of Australia.

[@marklivingstone3710]

There is no better place to be in Sydney on New Years Eve than the Opera House. It is a spectacular building in a spectacular setting. I watched them building it over many years, I have been there many times and am still in awe of it. For me, the only buildings that come close or are as good are the Lotus Temple in Delhi or the Taj Mahal.

[@annamariaisland1960]

Yeah, most people think it was cheap at twice the final price. All you have to do is look at the other buildings in Sydney for comparison.

[@julzmusic8708]

This is interesting from the ‘laundry’ associated products as - ‘bleach baths’ have been often proposed to me to help with my chronic eczema. From my first experience at the Royal Children’s Hospital over 20 years ago, to my dermatologist literally 2 days ago - recommending this. It’s been recommended for as long as I can remember but I’ve only ‘just’ started doing it again. Chronic eczema however would leave me to any desperate place.

[@hollydavid69]

Simon, i fast forward your ad,.So take that.

[@robinweston1950]

Hey Simon, love your channels. You should do one on The Olympic Stadium. AKA The Big Owe. Cost us a billion dollars and we can't use it.

[@linda10989]

Fellow 🇨🇦 here. IIRC, it took Montrealers decades to pay off the cost of the games.

[@FPJDK]

Fun fact: Utzon was not mentioned a single time by anyone during the inauguration

[@sandybarrie5526]

my uncle, dads younger brother, put in a design. he sid the specs they called for could never be met for the budget they had quoted...

[@galenbywater2936]

Could you please discuss the history of Mrs. Simpson and the Duke of Windsor? This is a particularly interesting bit of history and would make many separate programs. Love your videos.

[@randomname392]

As always, attempting to cut costs does the exact opposite. When will politicians learn that its politics that make things overbudget. You can't just change things to be cheaper and not expect it to cost you.

[@thesupplantor]

I always feel sorry for tourists who go to Sydney and are disappointed with how small the opera house is. I've always found the harbour bridge more impressive.

[@JayJayGamerOfficial]

It's not small in any means, standing next to it you get a sense of scale that you simply don't get on tv. While it isn't the tallest or biggest structure in the city you need to keep in mind it is not meant to be a massive building and most of the extra size comes from the design of the building.

[@Nikkska]

As an Aussie who loves the look of the Opera house, why did we even build one? I’ve never heard of Australia (or Sydney specifically) having a world renowned Opera industry 😂 Can anyone enlighten me if it’s commonly used as an Opera venue?

[@mattbarneveld815]

OK, why did we build one? It's difficult to evidence how "renowned" our opera industry is internationally but I doubt it is a slouch. To give one measure of its esteem, here are just a few of the internationally acclaimed Australian artists who have been directors for Opera Australia (OA)- Baz Luhrmann, Barry Kosky, Neil Armfield, John Bell and Simone Young. Opera is probably a bit more of a niche market in the Australian arts scene compared to other countries around the world but, especially considering that, I think we hold our own on the international stage- think Dame Nellie Melba and Dame Joan Sutherland. As to whether the Sydney Opera House is commonly used as an opera venue, it's not easy to find the numbers, but the best I could do was data from the 2004 OA Sydney season (without doing serious research and number crunching!). In 2004 there were 172 performances by Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House. That equates to about 5.3 performances a week for the 8 month season at the Sydney Opera House (on current figures, The Metropolitan Opera, New York works out to be about 5.2 per week, the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, London about 3.7). Total audience numbers for OA performances at the Sydney Opera House in 2004 were 221,082. Finally, don't forget, we don't just host operas at our "Opera" House- in 2022/23 it hosted 1,636 varied performances with a total of 1.28m audience members attending performing arts events 😊

[@littltheyjack]

Isn’t this the case for virtually every grand project though? Don’t they all start with optimistically low budgets and construction times only to require many times more for each?