|
1990
|
McKinsey
& Company present
report, commissioned on a pro bono basis by the Sydney Opera House Trust, on the
feasibility of establishing a performing arts museum in Sydney (27
February).
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|
1991
|
Performing
Arts Information, Collection and Exhibition Services in NSW: A
Development and Operations Plan, prepared by Janine Schmidt (State Library of NSW), Louise Douglas
(Powerhouse Museum) and Paul Bentley (Sydney Opera House Trust), is
submitted to Ministry for the Arts in January.
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|
1992
|
TheatreWorks,
with the support of the Minister for the Arts,
Peter Collins, emerges as a solution to provide the House with a
permanent daytime attraction and source of revenue, following submission of a Performing Arts Museum Management Plan by Paul
Bentley in February, with recommendations on significant changes to the
scope of the collection, a focus on documentation activities, the
transfer of archival materials to other collections and a name change to
the Dennis Wolanski Library of the Performing Arts. Subsequently,
Paul Bentley and Leif Kristensen complete Report on Museum and Exhibition Facilities in London,
Seville and Paris and Recommendations for the Development of a
Performing Arts Museum at the Sydney Opera House in December.
|
|
1993
|
Interim
Sydney Opera House Conservation Plan for the Sydney Opera
House published as a step towards a more coherent approach to the
conservation of the building
|
|
|
Lin Utzon unveils a bronze plaque
to honour her father’s achievement in March. Set at the podium level
on the ceremonial stairs, and in accordance with Jørn Utzon’s wishes,
it illustrates his spherical solution.
|
|
|
Stage
3 architects, Peter Hall, David Littlemore and Lionel
Todd, are commemorated in an inscription on the granite beside the main
entrance leading from the concourse.
|
|
|
Underground car park,
built and operated by Enacon Parking Pty Ltd, is opened in the Royal
Botanical Gardens adjacent to Sydney Opera House, as the first circular
underground station of its type in the world. The car park is the culmination of various proposals to solve the
transportation problem, beginning with Utzon’s Blue Book
proposal, use of the Sydney Opera House forecourt as a car
park, and operation of a bus park and ride service form the Domain
Parking Station to Bennelong Point.
|
|
1994
|
Sydney
Opera House Travelling Exhibition, produced by Paul
Bentley, opens in January at the Australian Embassy Paris to celebrate Australia
Day. The exhibition is subsequently presented at the
Rome Opera House, Cologne Olivandenhof, Amagasaki Cultural Centre in
Japan, Seoul Cultural Centre in South Korea and Kennedy Center’s
Festival Australia, Washington DC.
|
|
|
NSW Government approves triennial
funding of $7.1 million for TheatreWorks Dennis Wolanski
Library, Concert Hall Anteroom and new Broadwalk Foyer from July 1994.
|
|
|
Report
on Visit to the United States, encompassing cultural and museum
sites in San Francisco, Washington, New York, St Louis and Atlanta,
completed by Paul Bentley in October to inform work on the design and
management of TheatreWorks.
|
|
|
Unseen
Utzon exhibition presented jointly by the Sydney
Opera House Trust and the State Library of NSW in the Exhibition
Hall from November 1994 until March 1995. It includes a computer
animated simulation of Utzon’s ideas for the major and minor halls,
based on the work of architectural student Philip Nobis. Exhibition credits: John Murphy (curator), Phil Verner (design
coordinator), Paul Bentley (operations coordinator) and Philip Nobis
(consultant). Prompted by publicity from the exhibition, Jørn Utzon
donates a 1965 architectural model of his proposals for the major hall,
which is presented to the Trust by Lin Utzon. The exhibition also
stimulates conservation work, 1993-1999, on the Utzon collection in the
State Library of NSW, with supplementary funding from the NSW Government
and the SOH Ladies Committee of the Sydney Opera House Appeal Fund.
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|
1995
|
TheatreWorks
construction stopped by the Labor Government, on winning office in March 1995, because of its
commitment to using the space for performances, particularly
contemporary music
|
|
|
World premier of The Eight Wonder, an
opera about the Sydney Opera House saga, composed by Alan John, libretto
by Dennis Watkins, presented by the Australian Opera on October 14.
|
|
|
Joe
Skrzynski succeeds Elizabeth Butcher as Chairman on 21 December.
|
|
1996
|
Sydney
Opera House Conservation Council established as a body to
provide advice on the care, control and maintenance of the building.
Membership includes a SOH trustee, SOH general manager, Government
Architect, an eminent architect, and eminent engineer from private
practice or academia, a nominee of the Ministry for the Arts and a
member of SOH executive with responsibilities for the building. The
first meeting is 24 March 1996.
|
|
|
Nomination
of Sydney Opera House for listing by World Heritage Committee,
after three years development, completed and forwarded to the Prime
Minister in anticipation of formal submission to UNESCO in Paris. The
Federal Government decides not to proceed with the application.
|
|
|
Sydney
Opera House Trust closes Dennis Wolanski Library of the Performing Arts
in November and its collections are dispersed to 15 other organisations in Australia
over the ensuing ten months to September 1997
|
|
1997
|
Lloyd
Martin retires as General Manager and Tim Jacobs takes
up appointment as Chief Executive Officer to implement
‘generational change’ at the Opera House. Jacobs resigns 23 February 1998, after 11 months in the job to
take up the appointment of Chief Executive of the Victorian Arts Centre
|
|
|
Exhibition
Hall converted to office accommodation for
Theatre Department and other administrative staff, after plans to
return library to its previous location on a smaller scale are rejected
by the Sydney Opera House Trust in May.
|
|
|
Sydney
Opera House Masterplan ">prepared by the Government Architect’s
Office in October 1997. Includes proposed work valued at $32.5 million.
Subsequently architects Denton Corker Marshall, led by Richard Johnson,
are appointed to review the plan and develop architectural principles to
guide future development work.
|
|
1998
|
Michael Lynch takes up appointment
as Chief Executive Officer of the Sydney Opera House on 1 July.
|
|
|
Utzon
Foundation. Sydney Opera House Trust establishes the Utzon
Foundation 'to mark the building’s 25th birthday and
acknowledge the creative genius of Jorn Utzon’ by providing a
biennial international prize to recognize creativity and excellence in
the performing arts.
|
|
1999
|
Broadwalk
Studio becomes The Studio. Designed by architect
Lief Kristensen, the Studio, based on earlier plans for TheatreWorks,
Western Broadwalk Foyer, Concert Hall Assembly Area and Conductors’
and soloists suites, the Studio opens 4 March to “encourage
the development of emerging artists and artforms and provide an
opportunity to forge stronger links with the industry”.
|
|
|
Utzon
re-engaged by the Sydney Opera House Trust to develop a set
of design principles for use as a guiding reference point in all future
development of the building. In a later article about the venture (The
Australian 6-7 May 2000) Utzon expresses the view that conversion of
the main hall for opera and new glass walls are not feasible. He proposes that the adjacent East Circular Quay buildings
(called the Toaster) be levelled and replaced by a low-rise annex for
Opera House offices, workshops and storage. |
