Is it a building? Yes, it's my favourite. The Sydney Opera House.

Australia: A country with architecture as unique as its environment. The Sydney Opera House, perched on the tip of Circular Quay, alongside the Sydney Harbour Bridge, is one of the most well-known and iconic images of Sydney.
Did you know that the creative design was the result of a competition? Back in 1956, The Hon. Joe Cahill (the NSW Premier at the time) ran a worldwide design competition for an opera house. Little-known Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s design was selected from over 200 entries.

However, when it came time to start planning, his curved design (radically different from the more common cubes and squares) stumped engineers for years. Eventually, Utzon himself came up with an idea: basing the curved shells on the face of an imaginary sphere.

Construction began in March 1959, and Utzon and his family moved to Australia shortly after. However, in 1965, Minister of Works Davis Hughes questioned Utzon’s grand designs for the interiors, particularly their schedules and costs. Despite huge protests throughout Sydney, Utzon was forced to step down from the project in 1966.

That year, architect Peter Hall took over the project, bringing the iconic building to its completion.
The Utzon family left Australia, never to return. However, in 1999, Utzon was engaged to create a set of Design Principles to guide any future changes, thereby ensuring his impact on the Australian cityscape to live on.

Now, the Sydney Opera House regularly hosts all types of events: opera, modern dance, comedy, burlesque, music, art, and children's’ event.

Not to mention all the postcards and photos!
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- Liv Steigrad for Ruby’s Residences.