Jørn Utzon - a visionary architect who inspired not only Australia

Copenhagen/Prague - Few buildings leave such a grand impression on people as the majestic sculpture of the Sydney Opera House. Allegedly the most visited structure in the world with its characteristic overlapping white roof, which is now an integral part of Sydney Harbour, it is also one of the most recognized symbols of Australia. It owes its global renown to its spiritual father, the Danish architect Jørn Utzon. The nestor of Danish architecture turns 90 years old on April 9.
    The opera project is Utzon's most famous and most valued achievement. Originally, the Danish architect who succeeded in an international competition in 1957 among 233 other designs was the author of both the interior and the exterior of the unconventional building. However, rising costs and unexpected problems during the construction of the shell led to Utzon resigning from his position as chief architect after seven years of work and permanently leaving Australia. To save costs, the impressive interiors according to Utzon's original design were never realized. Nevertheless, the final construction costs exceeded the budget fourteen times.
    Utzon did not attend the grand opening of the opera in 1973. Only a quarter of a century later did Australians manage to involve the world-renowned architect in the reconstruction work on the opera building, which is 183 meters long, 118 meters wide, and towers 67 meters above sea level. The structure, inspired by Mayan temples, sails, and motifs from the natural world, has since gained undisputed recognition, becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a staple in architecture textbooks.
    Utzon's visionary design also opened doors to further international projects. In the ensuing years, he realized the construction of the Iranian central bank in Tehran (1963) and the parliamentary building in Kuwait (1978-1985). He also capitalized on his long-standing interest in Islamic architecture.
    Jørn Utzon was born in Copenhagen to a family of yacht designers. In 1942, he graduated from the local academy of arts. His early inspiration came from the works of the founder of Nordic modernism Alvar Aalto and the father of "organic architecture" Frank Lloyd Wright. At Aalto's studio in Finland, he refined his style for several months, while he visited Wright's architectural office in Arizona during a scholarship stay in the USA. He opened his own studio in Copenhagen in 1950.
    In Denmark, a number of smaller buildings - predominantly single-family houses with flat roofs - were created according to Utzon's designs in the early 50s. The characteristic single-story or one-and-a-half-story mass of the house is completely enclosed on one side, but on the opposite side, it opens up to the surrounding garden through strip windows (his own house in Hellebæk 1951, the Middelboe house in Holte 1953).
    A more extensive domestic project by Utzon was the Kingo apartment complex in Helsingør. The sixty atrium houses made of yellow brick cleverly integrated into the picturesque lakeside landscape became a focus of interest for many architects immediately after their inception in the late 50s. Notable Utzon realizations in Denmark also include the construction of a church in Bagsværd (1977) and exhibition spaces for the furniture company Paustian in Copenhagen, completed in collaboration with his sons Jan and Kim under the brand Utzon Associates.
    The recipient of the Pritzker Prize in 2003 lives on the Spanish island of Mallorca, where he has built two family homes, one of which is named after Utzon's wife, Lis.