10+1 Interesting facts about the Sydney Opera House

1. The architect who won the competition to design the Sydney Opera House, Jorn Utzon, saw his proposal rejected up to 3 times. However, a fourth judge in 1956 chose his sketch calling it brilliant. Utzon beat 232 other applicants and wont 5000 pounds after winning the contest.

2. The construction of the Sydney Opera House began in 1959 and more than 10,000 workers were hired. The initial budget was $ 7 million; however, the final cost was estimated around 102 million dollars.

3. The Sydney Opera House was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. Although it was believed that its construction would only take 4 years.

4. The building of the Sydney Opera House can accommodate inside up to 8 airplanes Boeing 747. Its total size is 187 meters long and 115 meters wide. As for the height, it is equivalent to a 22 floors building, about 67 meters.

5. The pavilion has an area of 6225 square meters of a special glass produced by the French firm Boussois Souchon-Neuvesel, and 645 kilometers of electrical wiring.

6. The Sydney Opera House hosts more than 3,000 events a year, has more than 1,000 rooms and more than 15,500 bulbs are changed every 365 days.

7. The building was listed in 2007 as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. The organization described it as “great urban sculpture set in a remarkable waterscape, at the tip of a peninsula projecting into Sydney Harbour.”

8. Arnold Schwarzenegger was proclaimed Mr Olympia champion in 1980 in the Concert Hall building.

9. The Sydney Opera House has appeared in countless movies like “Mission Impossible 2” by Tom Cruise or “Finding Nemo” by Disney Pixar.

10. The sail-shaped structure gives the Opera a unique and characteristic silhouette, besides it settles on a pillar which is believed to be the largest free standing column in the world.

11. The Great Organ of the Sydney Opera House was constructed after 10 years; thus becoming the largest mechanical musical instrument in the world, with more than 10154 pipes.