nomination by the Government of Australia - Sydney Opera House

Materials and substance
The use and appearance of the materials of the property
are fundamental to its authenticity. Utzon purposely
used materials that provide both structure and
architecture, true to the spirit of postwar architectural
ideals. Exposed concrete, shaped to ‘express the forces
within the structure’, the glazed matt and glossy tiles,
the granite panels and bronze elements provide the
basic palate of materials at the Sydney Opera House.
The importance of the materials, their rationale, form
and fi nishes are documented in the Conservation Plan
(SOH) and the Utzon Design Principles. Policies in these
documents detail the management, future repair and
treatment of these materials. The rigorous management
and conservation of the Sydney Opera House assist
in retaining the material integrity and authenticity of the
building. These policies and practices are described in
Parts 4, 5 and 6.
Use and function
The Sydney Opera House continues to perform its
function as a world-class performing arts centre. Since
the Sydney Opera House fi rst opened in 1973, its
role as a cultural performance centre has continued
to grow. Not only does it continue to be home to
traditional performing arts and national institutions,
but its role has escalated over time to encompass an
extensive range of cultural performances that appeal to
a wide cross-section of the community.
3.47
Figure 3.47 Australian Idol concert on the forecourt.
The success of the Sydney Opera House requires
the integration of new technologies for state of the
art performance spaces and for audience and tourist
management. This could create the potential to
threaten or compromise authenticity in relation to
maintaining and conserving the original material fabric
of the building’s structure. The Conservation Plan (SOH)
specifi es the need to balance the roles of the Sydney
Opera House as an architectural monument and as a
vibrant, state of the art performing arts centre:
[R]esidual tensions between the care of the
structure as a monument and its function as
a performing arts centre will always exist. It is
therefore important to emphasise the degree to
which the quality of the building and its site and
the popular and fi nancial success of the events
within it reinforce each other. Neither can be
neglected (Kerr 2003: 26).
Part of the Sydney Opera House’s setting, the inner
waters of Sydney Harbour, serves a wide range of
maritime activities. The identifi ed views and vistas
which contribute to the outstanding universal value of
the Sydney Opera House are protected by the buffer
zone and by national protective legislation that is
effective both within and beyond the buffer zone. These
protective measures are described in Parts 4 and 5.
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