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With a budget of $150 million,the concert hall stage was rebuilt and new fibreglass petals,spanning between three and six metres,were added.

The world heritage-listed building,designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and completed by Peter Hall after Utzon left our shores in 1966,has created waves of excitement since it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in October 1973.

ARM Architecture,with a brief to bring the concert hall up to standard,was also directed by Hall’s original design.

The result is not only a state-of-the art facility within our most important landmark,but a swag of awards from the Australian Institute of Architects (NSW Chapter) – The NSW architecture medallion,the Greenway award for heritage and the John Verge award for interior architecture. However,this trifecta of ARM wins almost did not occur.

‘Each pattern has been carefully designed to create the appropriate amount of sound.’
Andrew Hayne,a principal at ARM

Six of ARM’s team tendered for the highly coveted commission,but didn’t really rate their chances of winning the bid. “We really thought we were only an outside chance,given we are well established in Melbourne and often our designs are expressed with ‘Rocco’ or ‘late baroque’ abandonment,” says architect Mark Raggatt,a director of the practice.

He worked closely with architect Andrew Hayne,a principal at ARM,and heritage architect Alan Croker,whose practice established the conservation management plan for the Opera House.

While not frontrunners,ARM’s work at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall,also from the 1970s,working with John Prescott’s design,was key to receiving the “gong”.

While Hall left an impressive legacy in the concert hall,including a dramatic white-tiered birch ceiling that beautifully fans over the main stage,the acoustics in what is referred to as the “doughnuts” were not appropriate for attracting top international talent.

So,with a budget of $150 million,the stage was rebuilt and new fibreglass petals,spanning between three and six metres,were added. Less obvious,but as important acoustically,are retractable timber walls that form a gentle horseshoe shape around the stage,together with solid brush box walls that envelop the lower level and diffuse the sound waves.

“Each pattern has been carefully designed to create the appropriate amount of sound needed to be reflected to the audience,” says ARM’s Hayne.

While the seats appear new,Hall’s use of high-quality magenta wool meant that only a few rows required attention.

One of the main problems with the former design was a lack of access to the foyer on the upper tiers,requiring the use of up to 50 stairs. So,an important part of the brief was for a new lift.

ARM carefully sliced through the original staircase and created a new passage to the lifts. Complete with a curvaceous bronze-clad wall that loosely takes its design cue from Hall’s brush box work,there is also vibrant purple carpet – a signature of Hall.

“Originally,it was an extremely bold design,but it wouldn’t be appropriate to simply try and copy what Hall achieved,” says Raggatt who,along with his colleagues,managed to stay true to the designer’s vision and the intent of the conservation plan.

“It certainly wouldn’t have worked to approach what needed to be done too timidly – and would not have been in the spirit of Utzon or Hall,” Raggatt says.

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