Opera House Visitor Centre banner

A pebble form, located within the Opera House forecourt in the lee of the Bennelong Apartments. Present and welcoming, yet unobtrusive and discrete.

Project team: Andrew Burns, Kate Fife, Casey Bryant

Location: Sydney, NSW

Year: 2015

Client: Opera House Trust

Land: Gadigal

Size: 500 sq.m

Architecture AND were invited to prepare design studies for a new visitor centre in the Opera House forecourt. Designed with consideration of the Utzon Principles, the pavilion comprised a soft form with complex curvature recalling the geometry of the shells.

Site plan and detail plan.
View from west.
Complex curvature is common to the existing building and proposed entry pavilion.
View from Macquarie Street approach.

The curvilinear exterior is contrasted by a rectilinear interior, expressed as a series of volumes held under the slender roof. The rectilinear geometry provides optimal configuration for display, serving as an open-air exhibition space with direct outlook to Utzon's masterpiece.

A rectilinear interior is held within the curvilinear external form.

Professionals used in
Opera House Visitor Centre

About the
Professional

Architecture that's second to nature AND design thinking to make cities work. Working across a breadth of natural and urban settings, our projects are materially rich and geometrically precise, with a deep sense of care underpinning all that we do. 

At ArchiPro we recognise and acknowledge the existing, original and ancient connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to the lands and waterways across the Australian continent. We pay our respects to the elders past and present. We commit to working together to build a prosperous and inclusive Australia.