Utzon

Both an in-depth and textured portrait of enigmatic Danish architect Jørn Utzon, as well as the story of one of the 20th Centuries most ambitious architectural project, this tour will draw you in to the amazing visionary world of the architect of the Sydney Opera House.

His work was beautiful yet transcended the purely aesthetic. He worked hard yet projected the image of a balanced life. He proclaimed himself a builder more than an architect and prior to his ground-breaking competition entry of 1957 he had built nothing larger than a house.

Discussing the sources of the young architects deepest inspiration, his working methods and influences, we will chart the development of Utzon’s ideas and their materialisation in the platform, concrete shells and ceramic skin of Sydney Opera House.

You will discover the influence of towering 20th Century figures like Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto, Eero Saarinen, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright and even Picasso on Utzon’s thinking, his interest in the methods of Gaudi and you will discover the ways in which his work was at once contemporary whilst drawing inspiration from the ancients.

Utzon’s epic accomplishment is rivalled only by his tragic tale. Booted out mid-construction, he considered the six years he spent developing the interiors of the House – none of which were realised – the most productive of his career.

Using discarded drawings, models and prototypes, Utzon’s design of the acoustic interiors, glass walls and furniture – much of it ready for construction before he left – will be explained.

The tour finishes with the interior work Utzon realised at The House during the last ten years of his life - a collaboration between Jørn, his architect son Jan and Sydney architect Richard Johnson.

Please note — this tour has a sharp focus on the work and working methods of Jørn Utzon and his various collaborations. As such, the tour is primarily external as none of Utzon’s interiors were realised. We will go into a number of internal spaces that he later realised, but we will not go into the performance spaces which were designed by local architects. Please visit the Sydney Opera House site for their tour options if this is your interest, or even better, book a ticket to see a performance - we recommend you see something, anything actually, in the Concert (Major) Hall.

What Else?

If you have a Gift Card, click “Apply gift card” in the booking window.

Please arrive 10min prior to departure.

Tours depart rain or shine so dress for the weather! The weather is usually great, but a sun hut and sunscreen is always a good idea in Sydney.

CPD for Architects.

If you are an architect then participating in this tour can earn you Formal CPD points. At checkout, click ‘yes’ when prompted.

More information on CPD here.

Almost but not quite?

We can conduct this tour - or something similar - any day of the week as a private group tour for groups of any size. Email us at info@sydneyarchitecture.org.