Joern Utzon

Danish architect, Joern Utzon,  probably one of the most accomplished architects in the world, never saw his finest achievement - the magnificent Sydney Opera House.

Utzon’s  submission was selected from amongst 230 others competing in a worldwide competition run by the NSW State Government to design an opera house.

Construction began in 1959 but it soon became apparent that Utzon’s original design was structurally impossible. After a few more years of research, Utzon was able to solve the complex geometry of the Sydney Opera House ‘sails’, although production was put back several years.

All went well until February 1966 when a dispute with the government caused Utzon to resign and leave Australia, never to return. Three Sydney architects were then hired to complete the building, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973.

In June 2007 Sydney’s Opera house was listed in the World Heritage sites. In 2008 Joern Utzon died, aged 90. In march 2009 a memorial concert was held at the Opera House he designed for Sydney.