Chinese whispers: Is there a secret in the design of the Sydney Opera House?

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Sydney Opera House has a relatively unknown connection with China. On its 50th anniversary, SBS Chinese delves into what could be a well-kept secret inside Australia's iconic landmark.

The Sydney Opera House was designed by a Danish architect named Jørn Utzon who participated in a competition to win the chance to design this iconic building. Credit: The Sydney Opera House

Key Points

• Jørn Utzon was deeply impressed by Chinese architecture while growing up, says expert.
• Mr Utzon's 1958 trip to China in 1958 was very inspiring for him, his daughter said.
• Another expert believes the Sydney Opera House is inspired by more than just Chinese architecture.

For the rest of the world, the Sydney Opera House is emblematic of Australia.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic landmark.

It is well-known that Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the architect of the Sydney Opera House, was deeply influenced by so-called "exotic" cultures.

A 1964 file photo of designer of the Sydney Opera House, Danish Architect, Jørn Utzon, on the construction site. Credit: AAP Image/National Archives of Australia

But less known is that one of the "exotic cultures" that had an imprint on Mr Utzon's masterpiece is none other than China, an article published on the Sydney Opera House website stated.

To mark the building's 50th anniversary on 20 October, SBS Chinese underlines the thought process behind its design.

Utzon's 1958 trip to China

In 1958, Mr Utzon went to China on his way back to Denmark from Australia, as he worked on designs of the Sydney Opera House.

Mr Utzon recorded his trip on film in detail, in which he visited Beijing's landmarks and traditional city streets, including the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Tiananmen Square.

Jørn Utzon and Gier Grung enjoy Peking Duck in Beijing in 1958. Stills from Jørn Utzon’s 16 mm film. Credit: Utzon Archives / Aalborg University & Utzon Center.

Lin Utzon, his daughter, reminisces about her father's trip to China.

Her name is inspired by the surname of the Chinese writer and philosopher Yutang Lin, with whom her father was "very attached".

"When he was in China, he observed life in the street and life in the hutongs (a common narrow alley in China, especially Beijing) and so on," she recalled.

He was completely taken with the temple architecture and element aspect of Chinese architecture where you have the roof carried by the brace and bracket element and the way they were decorated.

Lin Utzon, a Danish artist and daughter of Jørn Utzon

“It was a great experience to see the old architecture of China, especially in Peking (Beijing's name at that time) and it gave me a valuable experience to study the innumerable beautiful staircases and the variation of roof constructions (floating roofs),” Mr Utzon wrote to a friend after his visit.

Chinese architecture that documented by Utzon during his visit to China in 1958. Credit: Utzon Archives / Aalborg University & Utzon Center

In 2002, Ms Utzon spent six months in China, visiting several historic cities, including Xi'an and Beijing.

When I saw Chinese architecture in reality, not in photographs ... I recognised that my father was influenced by that aspect of Chinese architecture.

Lin Utzon

A sample from China

Mr Utzon's trip to China also provided a silver lining to a problem he later encountered in the construction of the Sydney Opera House.

He wanted the shell-shaped roof to contrast with the deep blue of the Sydney Harbour and the clear blue of the Australian sky.

The tiles needed to be glossy but not be mirror-like to cause glare.

"The materials used were stoneware tiled with a golden surface. ‘Engobe’ is actually the clay of the tile itself that's mixed up and used as the colour of the tile," Ms Utzon told SBS Chinese.

My father had seen the engobe technique in China when he was on a trip there...He had a sample with him from China.

Lin Utzon

Lin Utzon (right) and her brother Jan Utzon (middle) attended the UNSW Sydney Utzon Lecture on 17 October to reflect on the works and memories of their father, Jørn Utzon. Credit: Katje Ford

Mr Utzon then sent the sample to a small factory near his home in Sweden and decided to make the tiles white shiny and matte white, his daughter said.

Three years of work by the Sweden factory produced the effect he wanted in what became known as the 'Sydney Tile'.

In his Design Principles published in 2002, Mr Utzon would remark that the tiles “were a major item in the building. It is important that such a large, white sculpture in the harbour setting catches and mirrors the sky with all its varied lights dawn to dusk, day to day, throughout the year.”

The engobe technology seen on a trip to China inspired Mr Utzon to make the tiles for the Sydney Opera House. Credit: The Sydney Opera House

Utzon's regard for China

In recent years, some scholars have studied the Chinese influence on the Sydney Opera House, or Mr Utzon.

Mengbi Li is one of them and is a lecturer in Built Environment at Victoria University.

"He [Mr Utzon] was exposed to a lot of traditional Chinese architecture at a very early age, including the Chinese technical manual on ancient buildings, Yingzao Fashi," she told SBS Chinese.

Victoria University lecturer Mengbi Li said that Mr Utzon was exposed to traditional Chinese architecture while growing up. Credit: Mengbi Li

She further noted that the exterior of the Sydney Opera House, which from a distance looks like a large roof floating on a raised platform, was one of Mr Utzon's interpretations of traditional Oriental architecture.

The design of the ceiling inside the Opera House is somehow in line with the bracket systems (to support the roof of a building) used in traditional Chinese architecture.

Mengbi Li, lecturer in the Built Environment at Victoria University

Bracket system is a traditional Chinese structural element that interlocks wooden brackets in a series to support the roof of a building. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese architecture and is characterized by its intricate and elegant design.

"Traditional Chinese architectural elements are also reflected in other architectural designs of Mr Utzon," Ms Li added.

The ceiling of the Sydney Opera House when it was under construction. Credit: Utzon Archives / Aalborg University & Utzon Center

'A very Australian building'

Being a lover of adventure, Mr Utzon travelled to many places and drew inspiration along the way.

An exhibition, organised by the Utzon Centre opened in Aalborg, Denmark in 2018. It features rarely-seen footage documenting his travels to India, Nepal, China, Japan and the United States amongst other countries.

"It was not just Chinese architecture... my father was a very curious human being and, of course, he was a brilliant mind and absorbed everything around him — how people lived and what was good for them," Ms Utzon said.

He was also very taken with Moroccan architecture, with West American architecture and with all architecture. But altogether, that whole interest, I think influenced him enormously.

Lin Utzon

Mayan ruins photographed by Mr Utzon during his travels to Mexico. Credit: Utzon Archives / Aalborg University & Utzon Center

John Doyle, Associate Dean and Head of RMIT Architecture told SBS Chinese that design is "one of those messy enterprises that in the aftermath leaves more questions than answers".

"Some have pointed to the fact that Utzon was a sailor and claimed the Opera House ‘sails’ were inspired by this."

There is evidence that Mr Utzon was interested in Chinese traditional architecture, and its influence is readable in the design.

John Doyle, RMIT

“I think the Opera House is a composite of many different cultural and social influences."

"It is a very Australian building in this way," he concluded.