Singing Lessons

Coffee by the Sydney Opera House

[wpcol_1third id=”” class=”” style=””]How are you supposed to react to one of the most cherished and photographed buildings in the world, architecture that inhabits almost all outwards projections of the Australian image. An outline that could be sketched blindfolded, seen and then seen again by millions around the globe, who have never even set foot on the continent. I am, as are most, massively familiar with The Sydney Opera House, it has always been on my ‘bucket list’ and leaving Australia without seeing it would have been unimaginable to me.

Arriving earlier than I initially anticipated, I left Sydney airport, heading to my hotel at the recently spruced kings Cross area of the city, who had no trouble fixing me up with a room despite my eager arrival. A quick turnover and a short walk to the metro station put me square in the center of Sydney which isn’t really that big, and wasn’t too much to ask of my feet to walk up to the Opera House in Circular Quay. Having said that, I was very ready to do as the Romans do, or, more specific, Italians (perhaps even the Australians), sitting down to sip coffee and survey my new surroundings.[/wpcol_1third] [wpcol_1third id=”” class=”” style=””] Happily, I found myself at the Portobello Café with a brilliant view of the Opera House on my right, and the Sydney Harbor bridge to the left. Whilst sat having my lunch and drinking my flat white, Australian by the way, I reclined back into my chair in quiet contentment, of all the places I had wanted to visit in my lifetime, Sydney was right up there, and now found myself sat looking at one of the most recognizable scenes in the world. With every sip of coffee I saw as the sun and the shadows lifted the Opera House from a concrete grey into the familiar brightest white, all the 1,056,006 tiles glistening as I was sitting and enjoying, watching too as hundreds of tourists scurried about Bennelong Point, photographing this most famous collection of shells.

Building one of the most iconic buildings in the world wasn’t without its problems, in fact, it was a very turbulent upbringing, finishing construction 10 years late and a massive 1400% over the original budget. Unique, many of the problem faced were ironed out in-situ. Political shifts and personal differences even led to architect Jorn Utzon to resign, never returning to Sydney to see his completed masterpiece,[/wpcol_1third] [wpcol_1third_end id=”” class=”” style=””] even when, years later, he, and the Opera house, were awarded the highest honor in architecture the Pritzker prize. Recent years have seen a renaissance towards Utzon with recent refurbishment being completed to designs of his own specifications and a room dedicated to Utzon’s memory.

Unfortunately the time had come for me to leave my seat and join the crowds, I took a slow walk around the base passed by runners using the path as a track leading to the Royal Botanic Gardens towards Government house, glancing back now and then to catch a glimpse of the Opera House partially obscured by trees. I am not sure another city will have the same initial impact as here in Sydney’s Circular Quay.

 

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philhill@philhillphotography.com

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