The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, Australia. It is one of the 20th century's most famous and distinctive buildings.
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the building was formally opened on 20 October 1973 after a gestation period of 10 years. Its official name is the Sydney Opera House, but it is popularly referred to as the "Opera House" or "the House".
The building is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust, a statutory corporation established by the New South Wales Government.
The House hosts over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2 million people.
The building covers 1.2 hectares (2.9 acres) of land and contains around 1 million tiles.
The total cost of the project was $102 million, making it the most expensive construction project in Australian history at the time.