For the last five decades, the Sydney Opera House has been a global spectacle: with its whimsical rooftop sails and prime location on the Sydney Harbour, it has become not only the city’s most recognizable symbol, but that of all of Australia. While presiding over the building’s October 20, 1973, opening, the late Queen Elizabeth II called it “unique”—and while its architecture certainly remains a standout feature, what makes the structure truly forward-thinking is the degree to which Danish architect Jørn Utzon drafted it with sustainability in mind.
Selected from 233 entries in a 1956 international competition sponsored by then-New South Wales Premiere Joseph Cahill, Utzon’s design tied visual ingenuity with thoughtful elements, considering color and surface texture to reduce natural heat absorption of the one million ceramic tiles that make up the roof sails. He also took advantage of the site’s location on Bennelong Point, conserving water by designing the building to draw its supply from the sea. These features were all part of Utzon’s goal to make a building with a 250-year lifespan—features that, while considered smart today, were especially innovative at the time, when most new builds were expected to last just 80 years.
That precedent has helped to ensure that sustainability remains a top priority for the Opera House, maintained not only through the upkeep and modernization of its original features, but in the continual reassessment of its operations, from its waste management program to the fostering of wildlife diversity in the surrounding waters. These efforts have led it to become one of the only UNESCO World Heritage Sites to earn the highest-possible 6-Star Green Performance Rating by the Green Building Council Australia, a rating systems similar to the U.S.’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), this past May.
When it comes to enacting environmental responsibility, “people look to the Opera House for inspiration, or as a beacon,” says Sydney Opera House’s Sustainability Manager Emma Bombonato. “If a 50-year old building can do all of these things, that means that it can happen in other types of buildings, whether a school, office building, or other cultural institution or performing arts venue.” On the heels of its golden anniversary, we chatted with Bombonato about this global influence, and what the future looks like for this timeless—and ever-timely—institution.
