1957: Jorn Utzon wins the Opera House Architectural Competition

Photo taken by the Author (2019).

This week, the Sydney Opera House turns 47. It cost $100 million to build and 14 years to build.

Below is the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald dated from January 30, 1957. The previous day, Danish architect Jorn Utzon beat 221 other entrants to win the design competition. His win also included a cash prize of 5000 pounds ($10 000).

The runners up also feature in the article. 

Last year, The Guardian published artists impressions of some of the unsuccessful entries. I've had a look and none of them would match Utzons design. It was a very good decision. Sticking to the literal design was impossible for engineering reasons but the refinements made hit the mark and the effect was still the same!!!

It is one of the best buildings built globally in the modern age. This proves Sydney can get it right with architectural designs. We just need people with vision to make it happen!!!! 

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NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Harry Seidler feature on his McMahons Point redevelopment scheme (1957)

In the 1950's, architect Harry Seidler was asked by a group of locals at McMahons Point to design a residential scheme for the area. This was in response to plans by the Cumberland County Council to zone the area for industrial use.

Below is an article that Seidler wrote in 1957 for The Sydney Morning Herald where he explains his vision for McMahons Point.

Source: Seidler, H. 1957. "Experts Plan Lay-Out for McMahon's Point". The Sydney Morning Herald,  September 10: 10.

Seidler kept his scheme simple. He wanted four types of buildings. While the scheme would have led to more highrises had it become reality, the towers would not appear as clustered as many multi building developments in Sydney are today.

He believed that while there would be taller buildings, there would be more parkland and public space at street level. The layout of buildings across the suburb reflected the desire that apartments would have maximium access to views of Sydney Harbour.

This resulted in the construction of Blues Point Tower (1961), but was built as a residential tower. The original scheme called for an international hotel. It also influenced the construction of apartment buildings in the suburb during the 1960's but did not reflect the broader scheme that Seidler envisioned.

1957: How did Sydney get the new Gladesville Bridge?

Source: Anon. 1957. "Artist's Impression of Proposed Bridge". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 9: 8. 

Earlier this year, I found an illustration of a proposed Steel Cantalever Bridge that was proposed to replace the (old) Gladesville Bridge at Gladesville.

By the 1950's congestion along the crossing was a concern. The original bridge (1881) was only two lanes allowing for one lane of traffic in each direction. It was a low level bridge; a swing bridge which was opened at regular intervals to allow boating traffic to navigate along the Parramatta River.

The Department of Main Roads (DMR) wanted a new bridge as part of the planned (and never built) North Western Expressway to link northern Sydney, Central Coast and Newcastle to the Sydney CBD.

In 1957, tenders were invited by the DMR based on the steel cantilever bridge design with a span of 299 metres. The four tenders projected costs ranging from 2.51 million pounds ($5.2 million) to 3.87 million pounds ($7.77 million). A tender for a concrete arch bridge was submitted with a projected 2.39 million pound ($4.78 million) cost.

The DMR awarded the tender for a concrete arch bridge in 1959. The span was increased six metres to 305 metres and would cost 2.56 million pounds.

Deeper excavation of thrust blocks and the construction of the 10 lane northern approaches meant that the final cost was 3.6 million pounds. This converts to a cost of over $100 million today as based on the RBA Inflation Calculator.

Construction began in 1959 and was completed in 1964.

Additional Information:

Maxwell, M. "Gladesville Bridge - 50th Anniversary". PowerPoint Presentation. Accessed July 24, 2020. https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2017-01/Div_Syd_techPres_gladesville_bridge.pdf


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1957: Caltex House - leading the way for highrise development

For decades, Sydney had a very strict 46 metre (150 feet) height limit for buildings in the city centre. It was implemented because it was as high as fire ladder could go.

Source: Anonymous. Caltex House. Year Unknown. City of Sydney Archives, Sydney. Accessed July 29, 2016. http://www.photosau.com.au/cos/scripts/ExtSearch.asp?SearchTerm=030522

In 1957, Caltex House in Kent Street broke this height limit to become the tallest building in Sydney (and Australia). The 20 level/72 metre tower (measured from the rear laneway)  set a precedent for future high rise development in central Sydney. This was achieved through a loophole in planning policy.  The height of the building was based on the Kent Street side, and not Jenkins Lane at the rear of the building. Jenkins Lane was 12 metres lower than Kent Street.

Construction had begun at the start of the previous year and when completed was five months ahead of schedule.

The building was designed by architect Harry Nichols and was built by Civil & Civic Constructions.

Some facts of interest include:

*Australia's first all-concrete building.
*Fastest lifts in Australia at the time - It could travel 700feet in a minute. You could travel for instance from level 5 to 15 in just fifteen seconds.
*300 000 sq/feet of office space.
*First office block in Australia to be fully air-conditioned.
*14 shops at ground level.
*Capacity for 2000 workers.
*During construction, a new floor was added every 14 days, twice as fast as any building under construction at the time.

The following year, Caltex House lost the tallest building in Australia title to ICI House in Melbourne (20 storeys/84 metres). In 1962, the AMP Building would become Sydney (and Australia's) tallest building at 26 levels of 115 metres tall.

Source: Skelsey, M. 1996. "Suburb of Units in city centre". The Daily Telegraph, September 27: 26. 

However, in the late 1990s, the building was converted into the Stamford on Kent Apartment Tower. Approval was given in 1996, but the final design would differ. An additional eight floors were added to the tower. This was completed in 1999.

Above: Photos of the Stamford on Kent was taken by the Author (2008).