The Master's Chamber

First, honesty of form and the beautiful expression of function were integral to Utzon's approach. He strove constantly to manifest these values in his own work as well as that of others.

Engineer Ove Arup's Concourse beams, which so impressed Utzon early in their working relationship, typify this central principle, and are the dominant feature of the Utzon Room.

Second, the pivotal role of the Sydney Harbour was also a fundamental principle for Utzon. When he first learned of the competition, he pored over nautical maps to assess and visualise the exceptional location of Bennelong Point, its centrality to the harbour area, and its suitability for a beautiful sculptural expression.

Just like Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark, immediately next to shipyards where Utzon’s father was director, Sydney Opera House would come to define its environment.

Finally, the idea of procession, which Utzon believed should be central to the experience of the Sydney Opera House, with a grand staircase leading up through the podium toward the performances.

It is this idea that is dominant in the abstract mural as inspired by Raphael's painting, The Procession to Calvary, in which Christ carries the cross on his way to Golgotha.

Given the history of the project, there lingers a certain degree of irony in Utzon's choice of subject matter for the mural.