Models: The Evolution of Ideas

Models were a crucial method of testing and refining ideas frequently at the edge of what was possible in the design and construction of the Sydney Opera House.

By Sydney Opera House

Model of Major Hall ceiling form in the motif of breaking waves, Max Dupain, 1964/1965, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Major Hall, study for faceted roof scheme, State Library of New South Wales, 1960, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Main Hall, balsa study for faceted ceiling design, Yuzo Mikami, 1960, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Major Hall auditorium, balsa wood study for faceted ceiling design, State Library of New South Wales, 1960, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Page 16, Longitudinal section through Major Hall, Jørn Utzon, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Major Hall auditorium, large model of the faceted ceiling design (1960) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

A collection of small studies (1960) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Major Hall, study for faceted roof scheme (1960) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Minor Hall, disassembled sections for later scheme for ceiling using convex curves (1963/1964) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Minor Hall, cross-section assembly for later scheme for ceiling using convex curves (1963/1964) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Cast of half of the Minor Hall auditorium (1959) by Jørn UtzonSydney Opera House

Utzon's sketch for the Minor Hall ceiling, Jørn Utzon, 1959, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Minor Hall, auditorium, 1:60 scale prototype wooden model, Jørn Utzon, 1959, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Page 8, Longitudinal section through Minor Hall showing elevation of auditorium and stage wall, Jørn Utzon, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Study of waves used in a design scheme for the Minor Hall auditorium, State Records of New South Wales, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Minor model facet (1960) by Jørn UtzonSydney Opera House

A single rib element of the final spherical scheme (1962) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Rib study for vaulted shell of the roof (1962) by Jørn UtzonSydney Opera House

Studies for vaulted and side shells (1962) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Modelling a study for the Minor Hall ceiling, State Library of New South Wales, 1959, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Minor Hall, circles arrayed to describe the volume of the hall as part of the study of the convex curves scheme, State Library of New South Wales, 1963/1964, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Model detailing the sections of the roof in place in the form of the sphere, State Library of New South Wales, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Model detailing the sections derived from a sphere that comprise the final scheme for the roof, State Library of New South Wales, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Earliest wooden model describing the Spherical Solution, State Library of New South Wales, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Section view of the wooden model describing the Spherical Solution, State Library of New South Wales, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Sections of the wooden spherical model set out on a mirror surface, State Library of New South Wales, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Jørn Utzon's hands display sections comprising the final form of the roof taken from a spherical model, State Library of New South Wales, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Balsa and cardboard model of the spherical scheme, State Library of New South Wales, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Modelling the spherical scheme, State Library of New South Wales, 1962, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Modelling a vaulted shell (1962) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Spherical Solution model during assembly (1962) by Jørn UtzonSydney Opera House

View from the Monumental Steps of the spherical scheme model (1962) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Model of Spherical Solution, west elevation (1962) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Spherical Solution, bird's-eye view (1962) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Various angles on an early model of the parabolic scheme (1960) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Jørn Utzon with a small model of the spherical scheme (1962) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Jørn Utzon looking down on a model of the Spherical Solution (1962) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Jørn Utzon with a small model of the spherical scheme (1962) by State Library of New South WalesSydney Opera House

Credits: Story

Created by Sam Doust and the
Sydney Opera House GCI Team

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Contributors:
State Library of New South Wales
State Records NSW

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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