In 1956, 223 designs were submitted to the competition for the design of the Sydney Opera House. The design we know and love, consisting of a Multi-Sectioned Shell Structure designed by Jørn Utzon, was highly appreciated by Eero Saarinen, one of the jury members, who saw the potential of this design to develop and become one of the most important buildings in the world. Apart from Utzon’s design, very little is known about the 222 designs. Most of these designs could not go beyond a theory and were lost in the waters of history. As a result of research conducted by an Australian insurance company, plans and designs of noteworthy works from the Sydney Opera House competition were found and these designs were redesigned with CAD programs using today’s technologies.
We present you Utzon’s designs of what the Sydney Opera House would be commemorated today if Utzon’s Shells had not won.
Jørn Utzon’s Shells – Sydney Opera House Winning Design
The Sydney Opera House, one of the most iconic buildings we all know and love. This building, which we call Utzon’s Shells, was the winner of the competition in 1956.
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Design by Philadelphia Collaborative Group
Designed by the Philadelphia Collaborative Group and awarded second prize by the jury, this construction is designed in a very different structure than the current Sydney Opera House. Instead of horizontal architecture, vertical architecture was preferred and this change in height was felt on the exterior. Designed by 7 designers who wanted to create a submarine-shaped building, the building brought the designers together even though it did not win the competition. Bob Geddes, Mel Brecher, George Qualls, and Barney Cunninghamworked together under the acronym GBQC (Geddes Brecher Qualls Cunningham) after this competition.
Designed by Paul Boissevain and Barbara Osmond
The concept planned by Paul and Barbara, who became close during the Sydney Opera House project they designed together and married after the competition, aims to increase human interaction in its facade and exterior spaces, unlike Utzon’s and Philadelphia Collaborative Group’s designs. They were awarded 3rd place for their human-scale dimensions and the recreation areas they designed. Their design ideas were realized 50 years later in the Oslo Opera House, completed in 2007 by the architecture firm Snøhetta.
Designs Considered Worthy of Remembrance
Designed by Sir Eugene Goossen
The design by the famous Opera Conductor Sir Eugene Goossen was selected as one of the most important designs although he did not participate in the competition. As the conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the director of the Sydney Conservatory of Music and one of the leading proponents of building an opera house in Sydney, this design had a very special place for the jury.
Designed by Peter Kollar and Balthazar Korab
This design, which attracted attention with its plans, was praised by the jury. Kollar, who came to Australia in 1950 as an immigrant from Hungary, entered the Faculty of Architecture at the University of New South Wales and won 4th place in 1956 with their design with this Korab.
Design by S. W. Milburn and Partners
Stanley Wayman Milburn and Eric Dow’s design was not very different from Boissevain and Osmond’s in its cube shapes and recreation areas. However, Milburn and Dow hid the recreation areas under a raised building and placed a helipad on top of it, which could be used for emergencies.
Design of Vine and Vine’s Company
Designed by the British company Vine and Vine’s, the Opera House consisted of 2 separate Auditoriums separated by a restaurant area. Like its competitors, Vines created a special design for the exterior. Designing a sunken plaza, Vine’s design was judged by the jury as one of the 2 Auditoriums to be dysfunctional.
Kelly and Gruzen’s Design
My Thoughts on the Sydney Opera House
After a long search for a design and countless trials, the Sydney Opera House, a unique structure in terms of design and unparalleled in terms of cost, was built and completed in the shadow of the tensions experienced and the architect’s abandonment of the task. This building, which has become an icon today, has achieved this iconic status thanks to the setbacks, troubled budget plans and plenty of faulty trials. The Opera House, which has established a throne in the hearts of every artist and art lover, has served not only as an opera venue but also as a gathering place. Undoubtedly, the traces of the setbacks experienced are still noticeable in the structure of the building. However, the building has continued to walk on the right path and reached its present position.
What do you think aboutthe Sydney Opera House? Do you think the shell texture and artistic spaces created are effective in creating the integrity and perception of the building? Is there a missing or faulty aspect in the perception or structure of the building? Don’t forget to share your opinions with us. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can also read our Dancing House review by clicking here.…
Architect: Jørn Utzon, Peter Hall, David S. Littlemore and Lionel Todd
Architectural Style: Expressionist
Year: 1957- 1973
Location: Sydney, Australia
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