ELECTIVE

BIOMIMICRY IN ARCHITECTURE
PRAVEEN K R ; VII SEMISTER ; EWSOA
INTRODUCTION

• The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts

centre in Sydney. Located on the banks of the Sydney Harbour, it
is often regarded as one of the world's most famous and
distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th century
architecture

• Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, but completed by an

Australian architectural team headed by Peter Hall, the building
was formally opened on 20 October 1973

• The building and its surrounds occupy the whole of Bennelong

Point on Sydney Harbour, between Sydney Cove and Farm Cove,
adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal
Botanic Gardens, and close by the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
 STRUCTURAL DETAILS

 The facility features a modern expressionist design, with a series of large precast concrete
"shells“ each composed of sections of a sphere of 75.2 metres (246 ft 8.6 in) radius, forming the
roofs of the structure, set on a monumental podium.
 The building covers 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres) of land and is 183 m (600 ft) long and 120 m (394 ft)
wide at its widest point.
 It is supported on 588 concrete piers sunk as much as 25 m (82 ft) below sea level.
 The highest roof point is 67 metres above sea-level which is the same height as that of a 22-
storey building.
 The roof is made of 2,194 pre-cast concrete sections, which weigh up to 15 tonnes each.
 FACILITIES

 Concert Hall: With 2,679 seats, the home of the Sydney Symphony Orches and used by a large
number of other concert presenters. It contains the Sydney Opera House Grand Organ, the
largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world, with over 10,000 pipes.
 Joan Sutherland Theatre: A proscenium theatre with 1,507 seats, the Sydney home of Opera
Australia and The Australian Ballet. Until 17 October 2012 it was known as the Opera Theatre. ]
 Drama Theatre: A proscenium theatre with 544 seats, used by the SydneyTheatre Company and
other dance and theatrical presenters. THE MAIN CONCERT HALL DURING A
 Playhouse: A non-proscenium end-stage theatre with 398 seats. PERFORMANCE

 Studio: A flexible space with 280 permanent seats (some of which can be folded up) and a
maximum capacity of 400, depending on configuration.
 Utzon Room: A small multi-purpose venue for parties, corporate functions and small productions
(such as chamber music performances).
 Recording Studio
 Outdoor Forecourt: A flexible open-air venue with a wide range of configuration options,
including the possibility of utilising the Monumental Steps as audience seating, used for a range
of community events and major outdoor performances THE BENNELONG RESTAURANT,
LOCATED AT THE SOUTHERNMOST
INFLUENCE OF BIOMIMICRY IN OPERA HOUSE, SYDNEY

• The design of the Sydney Opera House was inspired by

nature, its forms, functions and colours.
• Utzon was influenced in his designs by bird wings, the shape
and form of clouds, shells, walnuts and palm trees. He
looked upon nature for guidance when designing, as nature
over time combined both efficiency and beauty, hand in
hand.
• The roof structures of the Opera House are called ‘shells’.
• The design of the ‘shells’ was one of the most difficult
aspects of the building’s design.
• Jorn Utzon claimed that the final design of the shells, was
inspired by peeling an orange.
• It is said that the shells of the 14 separate roofs, form a
sphere if combined.
• Jorn Utzon was one of the pioneers in the use of
The diagram below shows how the design from orange peel to prefabricated modular forms and designing for
‘shell’ roof evolved. sustainability.
 Jørn Utzon had a innovative idea for the buildings shape but couldn’t work out how he would build and achieve his idea.

The solution was by cutting an orange into spherical triangles form the skin he discovered the form and developed it into the
iconic design we know today.
THANK YOU