Sydney

Sydney is home to one of my favorite pieces of architecture, the Sydney Opera House. Its a lovely building with an even more fascinating story behind how it came to be.

Jørn Utzon’s design for the Sydney Opera House, as we know it today, might never have been chosen if not for Eero Saarinen. As a member of the selection committee, Saarinen played a crucial role in its selection. He advocated for Utzon’s design for two key reasons. First, he was unimpressed with the shortlisted entries. Second, his recent work on New York City’s TWA Terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport gave him confidence that the Opera House’s bold, sail-like shells could be constructed. While others on the committee doubted its feasibility, Saarinen believed otherwise—having already pioneered a similar wing-shaped concrete roof on the TWA Terminal.

Though no precise record exists of how the winning design was ultimately chosen, this account is widely shared. If you’re curious to learn more about the Sydney Opera House, check out the full story Opens a new window .

Even though the shells of the opera house appear uniformly white from a distance, they actually feature a subtle chevron pattern composed of 1,056,006 tiles in two colors: glossy white and matte cream. It took three years of development to produce the effect Utzon wanted in what became known as the Sydney Tile.

I had the amazing opportunity to welcome the New Year 2013 in Sydney and witness the city’s world-famous fireworks display. Watching the night sky light up over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House was an unforgettable experience.