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December 1, 2008
Joern Utzon - putting the "eccentric" back into "visionary architect"
I knew that the Sydney Opera House is a disastrous piece of public sculpture. I think I first read about the Opera House (as opposed to seeing photos) in one of those books on modern disasters (ah, here it is - Great Planning Disasters, Peter Hall). It came in at fifteen times the original budget, so however pretty you think it is don't tell me it's a good building. It's sculpture. Striking sculpture - the kind of thing that every city wishes it had, and is busy hiring Santiago Calatrava to get - but not a building.
What I didn't know is that, though Joern Utzon continued to work on the building into the 21st century - you know, restoring his vision to the interior, and wouldn't we like to hear what the budget was on that? - he refused to visit ever again after stomping off the site in 1966, 7 years before the formal opening.
Here's an article from Bloomberg.
Here's a point/counterpoint from 2005 from the Sydney Morning Herald. There's no defense of the building except as a sentimental favorite of visitors. One does wonder what $100 million dollars invested in music subsidies in Australia around 1970 would have accomplished.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at December 1, 2008 7:30 AM