Jørn Utzon
The patient quest
Universally known for his Sydney Opera House project, the architect Jørn Utzon (Denmark, 1918-2008) travelled all over the world in search of traditional, indigenous forms of construction. His journey included Mallorca, where he built the iconic house Can Lis, in Portopetro.
photography Utzon Archives / Aalborg University & Utzon Center
The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognised buildings in the world. In 1957 its creator, Jørn Utzon, sent a single sketch to the open competition to construct the building. He won it. His proposal broke with the square and rectangular shapes of modernist architecture. The Sydney Opera House not only transformed Jørn’s career: it also became the emblem of an entire nation.
Utzon’s architecture revolves around light, movement, topography and material. To understand the sense of his creations and see how they blend with the space, forming works of art, you need to see the sky dome of Bagsvaerd, touch the sandstone of Can Lis in Portopetro or stroll around Sydney Harbour.
Utzon never considered himself to [...]
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