Dictionary of Sydney
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The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Utzon, Jørn

Danish architect whose years in Sydney were marred by political conflict and cost overruns though he lived to see the Opera House design win international acclaim.

Milestone
Born
Copenhagen, Denmark
09 Apr 1918
Died
Copenhagen, Denmark
29 Nov 2008
Name
Alternate
Utzon, Jørn
Occupation
Architect
Position
Architect
Sydney Opera House
1957 - 1966

Utzon's Opera House

CC BY-SA 2.0
by
Eoghan Lewis
,
2014
supported by
City of Sydney - Cultural Ribbon Foreshore Histories Project

Considered 'the devil's work' by some and 'poetry, spoken with exquisite economy of words' by others, the Sydney Opera House quickly came to define a city, while its author drifted slowly into obscurity. Myths about Utzon and his influences abound: Was the Opera House inspired by sails, sea shells or oranges? Was Utzon a sculptor or an architect? And how on earth did Sydney snare this rare beauty?

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