JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF SYDNEY

OPERA HOUSE, SYDNEY

The Sydney Opera House is a magnificent building, rightfully considered one of the wonders of the modern world. Located at a prominent location on a peninsula near Sydney's harbour, it is reminiscent of a ship in full sail leaving harbour.

The idea for the construction of an opera house arose after the Second World War, when Australians realized that the country lacked a world-class opera house. In 1954 the government of New South Wales decided a new opera house was to be built at Bennelong Point, a spectacular location at the end of the Royal Botanic Gardens. An international competition was announced, inviting architects to submit designs for a complex including two main halls, a restaurant and public meeting rooms.

In December 1956 a total of 234 architects from nine different countries had submitted designs.

SYDNEY TOWER

The Sydney tower was the culmination of the Centrepoint project which started in 1970 with the construction of a shopping center at the heart of Sydney's Central Business District. In 1972 the first shops opened and two years later the building, which also contains offices, was completed. That same year the construction of the tower's shaft started. The turret was built at the bottom and was raised as the shaft's construction progressed. After slowly creeping up for seven years, the tower was finally completed in September 1981 as the Centrepoint Tower.

The Sydney Tower, the city's tallest structure, is one of Sydney's most prominent landmarks. The 309 meter (1014ft) high tower was built in 1981 as a communications tower and tourist facility. Each year, more than a million visitors enjoy the spectacular views over Sydney.

The tower is often referred to as Centrepoint Tower or AMP Tower. Centrepoint was the original name - and still the name of the shopping center at the foot of the tower - while AMP was the owner of the tower for some period. While these two names are still frequently used, the structure is now officially known as Sydney Tower.

Sources  :

                        www.wikipedia.org

                        www.traveleye.com