Controversial foundations: The Sydney Opera House and lessons for government

The Sydney Opera House, opened on 20 October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II, might have never been built. After 50 years, it has a brand recognition in Australia virtually unrivalled.  Only such natural phenomena as the Great Barrier Reef, or the island continent’s distinct flora and fauna, come close.

Architecturally, the building has come to be seen as a modernist expressionist masterpiece, one that germinated in the mind of Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who worked — with increasing difficulty — alongside the engineering firm of Ove Arup.