Half a century has passed since Australia's New South Wales government launched a competition to give Sydney a new music and performance centre. The result of that competition is the magnificent Sydney Opera House designed by the visionary Danish architect Jorn Utzon (b.1918) and the starting point for Building a Masterpiece: The Sydney Opera House. When construction began, few could have imagined the enduring impact that Utzon's creation would have on Sydney, nor indeed Australia. But any great feat of imagination and ingenuity creates sub-plots, and the Opera House, perhaps more than any other 20th century structure of its stature, has generated many. Building a Masterpiece explores the many untold chapters in the long history of the Opera House's gestation, development and completion - of individuals whose careers were made or broken by the Opera House, the companies whose reputations were secured through their association with the building, and the pioneering construction methods, innovative technologies and methodologies developed to meet the demands of its unprecedented design and challenging construction.
The workers who built the building, the politicians, architects and members of the public who championed it and its often beleaguered architect are discussed too as is its current world status as a symbol of Australia. Comprising an introduction and ten engaging essays, written by eminent authors and experts in the field, this comprehensive and richly illustrated book offers a unique account of the Sydney Opera House and is essential reading for anyone wishing to gain fresh insights into the complex history of this iconic building.

Contributions by: Richard Watson, Robert Geddes, Philip Drew, David Taffs, Matthew Connell, John Nutt, Philip Nobis, Sarah Gregson, Patricia Hale