Jorn Utzon

BBC: Sydney Opera House architect dies

The Danish architect of the iconic Sydney Opera House, Jorn Utzon, has died at the age of 90, after suffering a heart attack.

Mr Utzon, an award-winning architect, put "Denmark on the world map with his great talent," said Danish Culture Minister Carina Christensen.

Erm… Not wishing to be pedantic, but wasn't Denmark already on the world map?

I visited the Sydney Opera House in November 2000. It's very impressive from a distance, but, close up, it's a bunch of cheap-looking tiles. There's perspective for you.

The nearby bridge is, however, utterly magnificent.

Richard Carter

A fat, bearded chap with a Charles Darwin fixation.

3 comments

  1. The bridge having been built by Boro-based Dorman Long, also responsible for thesimilarly magnificentTyne Bridge. Makes yer proud to be from the North East (and makes you wonder how Liverpool edged Newcastle out for City of Culture).

  2. >>>It's very impressive from a distance, but, close up, it's a bunch of cheap-looking tiles. There's perspective for you.

    The nearby bridge is, however, utterly magnificent.

    I was going to say exactly the same thing.

  3. The Sydney Opera House all always reminds me of something my first boss said when I started in electronics: In the end nobody will remember you as the person who was in charge of that project which was late and went way over budget. But they will remember you if were in charge of that project which turned out a crap product. The Sydney Opera House was stupendously late and expensive and was a disaster right up until the end. When it suddenly turned out to be a success because the building itself was actually quite good. You can wake up now, I've finished.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *