Sydney Opera House summary

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Sydney Opera House, Performing-arts centre on the harbour in Sydney, Australia. Its dynamic, imaginative design by Danish architect Jørn Utzon won a competition in 1957 and brought Utzon international fame. Construction posed a variety of problems, many resulting from the bold design consisting of a series of glittering white shell-shaped roofs. After several years of research, Utzon gave the vaults a more spherical geometry, making them easier and more economical to build. The roofs are made up of precast concrete sections held together by cables. The centre finally opened in 1973.

Sydney Summary

Sydney, city, capital of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Located on Australia’s southeastern coast, Sydney is the country’s largest city and, with its magnificent harbour and strategic position, is one of the most important ports in the South Pacific. In the early 19th century, when it was

New South Wales Summary

New South Wales, state of southeastern Australia, occupying both coastal mountains and interior tablelands. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the states of Victoria to the south, South Australia to the west, and Queensland to the north. New South Wales also includes Lord Howe

opera Summary

Opera, a staged drama set to music in its entirety, made up of vocal pieces with instrumental accompaniment and usually with orchestral overtures and interludes. In some operas the music is continuous throughout an act; in others it is broken up into discrete pieces, or “numbers,” separated either

Australia Summary

Australia, the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia’s capital is Canberra, located in the southeast between the larger and more important economic and cultural centres of Sydney and Melbourne.