Opera house gets make-over after 43 years
Welcoming more than 8.2 million visitors a year and hosting 2,000 performances attended by 1.5 million people, Australia’s Sydney Opera House will undergo it’s single biggest upgrade since it opened 43 years ago.
Working designs released today reveal that key points of visitor interaction, from buying a ticket to seeing a performance, will receive a comprehensive update to equip the Opera House for the 21st century.
Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant said this is a historic project that the NSW Government is honoured to support with $202 million from its Cultural Infrastructure Fund.
“The Sydney Opera House has played an important role in our nation’s history and embarking on these renewal projects will ensure that it continues to be relevant for generations to come,” Mr Grant said. “From pedestrianizing the under-used space beneath the Monumental Steps to finally bringing the function centre inside the building envelope and eliminating the need for the large external marquee, the Opera House will change for the better.
“For the first time children will have a dedicated space at the Opera House – a new Creative Learning
Centre which will provide a unique education experience for our future generations.”
Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said the Opera House is a masterpiece of human creative genius that belongs to everyone and is central to our identity as Australians. “These renewal projects are designed to ensure the Opera House continues to evolve, welcoming and inspiring people in as many ways as possible, while conserving and respecting our heritage,” Ms Herron said.
“The Opera House has worked incredibly hard for us all and it is wonderful that, thanks to our greatest supporter, the NSW Government, the upgrades and improvements it needs are now under way.”
The NSW Government has committed $202 million from the Cultural Infrastructure Fund to the Renewal plans revealed today, which will:
- Upgrade the acoustics, accessibility, efficiency and flexibility of the Opera House’s largest internal performance space, the Concert Hall, which hosts world-leading classical and contemporary musicians, speakers and other performers;
- Transform office space into a new Creative Learning Centre, a dedicated place for children, families and young people;
- Remove the existing intrusive marquee from the Northern Broadwalk, and build a premium Function Centre within the building envelope, with spectacular views of the harbour; and
- Create a welcoming, car-free entrance under the Monumental Steps, and improve access to a more comfortable and inviting main foyer.
