The biggest attraction in Sydney, Australia and (arguably) the world, is the Opera House. It is a work of art and engineering, that is for sure.

From land or from the harbor, the unique shape of the multi-faceted Opera House catches your eye—the scalloped arches reach for the sky.

Begun in the 50’s, the project, designed by a Danish engineer, was to take a few years and about $2 million. Instead, it took nearly 20 years and it cost over $100 million—with many challenges and arguments regarding the design.

Glass covered with unique tiles make up each scallop and there are a number of performance halls in the complex.

Each part of the Opera House is inviting to the photographer.

The Opera House sits on the edge of the harbor, easy walking distance from the downtown area, the subway station, and the ferry wharves.

If you come from the downtown side, you climb a number of stairs to get to the entry—there is also a downstairs entrance for tickets / tours.

The ceramic tiles are special and each are designed specifically to be placed such that they cover the scalloped roofs of the various sections.

Inside, the Opera House is sparsely decorated, but very nicely done. These are small tables for those attending a function to enjoy a drink.

Ribbed cement and steel ceilings and window partitions allow light and create the illusion that the halls seem even bigger than they are.

A few banners told what had come or what was coming to the performance hall.

I loved the way these stairs melded with the unique ceiling and the glass and wooden sides.

This was a very unique section of the Opera House—the laminated wood was very pretty.

Note the way the wood, glass, and carpet are integrated very tastefully.

During the tour, we were shown some historical videos— and they just shined them on the walls.

Amidst the rather bland concrete and wood and glass, there was this one section of bright carpet that really set off the area.

The tour gathered at the bottom of the stairs as I continued to shoot photos of this beautiful building.

There are several performance “halls,” but we couldn’t take photos of most of them. This is the largest and most magnificent—note the huge pipe organ in the back. The slightly blurry photo is because there was little light in the hall—so my small digital camera didn’t light up the room much.

The ceiling was “alive” with lighting and speakers – we didn’t take in a performance, but I suspect it would have been incredible.

Our 90—minute visit to the Opera House was very enjoyable; however, it would have been even better to attend a performance!