Conserving the Opera House

The world-famous Sydney Opera House in Australia has received a $2,00,000 grant from the Getty Foundation to complete a comprehensive study of the building’s concrete elements and develop effective, long-term conservation protocols.

Despite being one of the world’s most iconic buildings and a “transcendent cultural symbol” of Sydney, the U.S.-based Getty Foundation notes that the Opera House still faces significant conservation challenges. “With its iconic, nested sculptural forms, the building is famous for its innovative use of exposed steel reinforced concrete. Despite successful steel conservation efforts over the years, there is still insufficient knowledge about the condition of the concrete,” the Foundation said.

Greg McTaggart, the Opera House’s director of building, development and maintenance, agrees that a lot more needs to be done to ensure the proper preservation of the World Heritage listed site, 40 years after the Danish architect Joern Utzon-designed structure was completed. “The fact that concrete is both a structural and design component presents challenges in terms of conservation techniques, especially when balancing the treatment of a problem with the building’s aesthetic qualities,” he said.

Results of the research will be integrated in the Sydney Opera House’s conservation management plan and made easily accessible to building managers and maintenance staff. This is expected to set a new benchmark that can be shared with the field.

The latest grant is part of the Getty Foundation’s “Keeping It Modern” campaign, which will fund work on ten 20th century architectural designs from around the world through grants beginning from $50,000. This includes notable projects such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House in Chicago and Le Corbusier’s apartment and studio in Paris.