Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House was the result of an International Architecture Competition won by Danish architect Jorn Utzon.His design was truly ground-breaking in terms of form and structural conception. Today the Sydney Opera House has become one of the most recognizable icons in the World. Even looking at the building now, it doesn't look a day out of date - 30 years after it was built.

Because of it's cutting edge design at the time, the project was plaqued with construction difficulties and cost over-runs. Due to his disagreements with the project team, Jorn Utzon actually walked off the project before it was completed. Fortunately the project was finally completed in 1973, more then 10 years after it was started. The final cost was AUD 102 mil., a small amount by today's mega-obsessed standards, but an enormous budget for a public building at the time.

The Sydney Opera house is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of it's cultural significance and universal values.