Sydney Opera House. NSW. Australia.
S 33° 51.450 E 151° 12.900
56H E 334874 N 6252210
On April 7, Jørn Utzon, the architect who designed the amazing Sydney Opera House, was awarded the 2003 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Waymark Code: WMB852
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 04/17/2011
Views: 61
In 2003 Jørn Utzon received the Pritzker Prize, international architecture's highest honour.
Utzon’s son Jan, also an architect, accepted the honour and a $US100,000 cheque on behalf of his 85-year-old father at a ceremony at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid on May 20.
One of the judges described Jørn Utzon as the groundbreaking Danish architect who had constructed something "well ahead of its time, far ahead of available technology and he persevered through extraordinary malicious publicity and negative criticism to build a building that changed the image of an entire country. It is the first time in our lifetime that an epic piece of architecture gained such universal presence."
Jørn Utzon was born on April 9, 1918 in Copenhagen. He received his Diploma in Architecture from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen in 1942 and established his own architectural office there in 1946.
In 1956 the New South Wales Premier, Joe Cahill, announced an international competition for the design of an opera house for Sydney which attracted more than 200 entries from around the world.
Utzon won the Sydney Opera House international design competition in 1957 from a field of 234 entries. The project was amply funded through government-run lotteries and Utzon was given the creative freedom to implement his revolutionary designs for the main podium structure and striking white shells of the opera house.
The Sydney Opera House is a masterpiece of late modern architecture. It is admired internationally and proudly treasured by the people of Australia. It was created by a young architect who understood and recognised the potential provided by the site against the stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Denmark’s Jørn Utzon gave Australia a challenging, graceful piece of urban sculpture in patterned tiles, glistening in the sunlight and invitingly aglow at night. Jorn Utzon died in Copenhagen in November 2008 aged 90.
In its short lifetime, Sydney Opera House has earned a reputation as a world-class performing arts centre and become a symbol of both Sydney and the Australian nation.
Architect: Jørn Utzon
Prize received: Pritzker Architecture Prize
In what year: 2003
Website about the Architect: [Web Link]
Website about the building: [Web Link]
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