nomination by the Government of Australia - Sydney Opera House

54
Part 3. Justifi cation for inscription
3.46
Utzon worked for several years on the complex designs
for the major and minor halls and the glass walls which
he envisioned would be suspended like waterfalls to
close the shells. These elements were fi nally designed
and built by Hall Todd & Littlemore amid public
controversy (see Part 2.A). Conservation issues have
arisen from this multiple authorship. However, Utzon’s
re-engagement in 1999 has allowed many of the
issues to be discussed and resolved with far greater
understanding of the building’s design than is typically
the case. In recent years, detailed attention has been
given to ways to conserve the building and retain its
authenticity which culminated in the Conservation
Plan (SOH) and the Utzon Design Principles. These
principles ‘can be used to clarify original design intent,
to manage proposals for change and infl uence planning
controls for the precinct’ (Joseph Skrzynski quoted in
Utzon 2002: 3). The principles are described in detail in
Parts 4, 5 and 6.
Figure 3.46 The tiled shells
The Conservation Plan (SOH) provides guidance for
defi ning what is integral to the Sydney Opera House as
a built structure. It includes many aspects of the Hall
Todd & Littlemore completion work which have become
central to the successful functioning and success of the
Sydney Opera House. The Conservation Plan (SOH)
explains that the policies in the plan are framed to fulfi l
many purposes, but that the fi rst one is to ‘recognise
the primacy of Utzon’s vision for the place and the
value of Hall’s hierarchy within the building which
distinguishes the treatment of major public spaces,
minor public spaces and performers’ and staff areas,
and service areas’ (Kerr 2003: 41).