Sydney Opera House: Utzon's Design (1957)
by Anonymous
The Sydney Opera House competition received 233 entries. Eero Saarinen championed Jørn Utzon's radical sail-roof design, which was initially rejected by the other judges. The building became a world icon but went 1,400% over budget.
Utzon's Sail Design
1957
year
Radical — interlocking concrete shells
design approach
Nearly impossible — took 16 years
buildability
Chosen — UNESCO World Heritage Site, Australian icon
outcome
Conventional Concert Hall
1957
year
Traditional box-style theater
design approach
Straightforward
buildability
Not chosen — 232 conventional entries rejected
outcome
Want to make your own version?
Sign up to create your ownMore in History
Muhammad's Hijra: Stay in Mecca or Move to Medina (622 CE)
Migrate to Medina (Hijra) vs Remain in Mecca
Constantine: Adopt Christianity (312 CE)
Embrace Christianity vs Maintain Traditional Roman Paganism
Facebook: College-Only vs Open to Everyone (2006)
Open to Everyone vs Stay College-Only
Chernobyl: Response Strategy (1986)
Information Suppression (Chosen) vs Immediate Transparency and Evacuation
Marbury v. Madison: Judicial Review (1803)
Assert Judicial Review vs Defer to Congress
Y2K: Fix It Proactively or Wait and See (1995-1999)
Proactive Remediation vs Wait and Patch