Jørn Oberg Utzon, , Hon. FAIA (; 9 April 191829 November 2008) was a Danish architect. He was most notable for designing the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

in Australia, completed in 1973. When it was declared a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

on 28 June 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime, after

Oscar Niemeyer Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer (), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was ...

. Other noteworthy works include Bagsværd Church near Copenhagen and the National Assembly Building in Kuwait. He also made important contributions to housing design, especially with his

Kingo Houses Kingo Houses is a housing development designed by architect Jørn Utzon in Helsingør, Denmark. The development consists of 60 L-shaped houses based upon the design of traditional Danish farmhouses with central courtyards and those of Chinese and ...

near Helsingør. Utzon attended the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dan ...

(1937–42) and was influenced early on by

Gunnar Asplund Erik Gunnar Asplund (22 September 1885 – 20 October 1940) was a Swedish architect, mostly known as a key representative of Nordic Classicism of the 1920s, and during the last decade of his life as a major proponent of the modernist style w ...

and

Alvar Aalto Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto (; 3 February 1898 – 11 May 1976) was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings. He never regarded himself as an artist, s ...

Early life and career

Utzon was born in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...

, the son of a naval architect, and grew up in

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's List of cities in Denmark by population, fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an Urban area, urban population of 143,598 (1 July ...

, Denmark, where he became interested in ships and a possible naval career. As a result of his family's interest in art, from 1937 he attended the

where he studied under Kay Fisker and Steen Eiler Rasmussen. Following his graduation in 1942, he joined

in Stockholm where he worked together with

Arne Jacobsen Arne Emil Jacobsen, Hon. FAIA () 11 February 1902 – 24 March 1971) was a Danish architect and furniture designer. He is remembered for his contribution to architectural functionalism and for the worldwide success he enjoyed with simple we ...

and Poul Henningsen. He took a particular interest in the works of American architect

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

.Tobias Faber "Jørn Utzon"
''Kunstindekx Danmark & Weilbachskunstnerleksikon''. Retrieved 18 September 2011. After the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and the German Occupation of Denmark, he returned to Copenhagen. In 1946 he visited

in Helsinki. In 1947–48 he travelled in Europe, in 1948 he went to

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

where he was taken by the tall clay buildings. In 1949, he travelled to the United States and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

, where the pyramids provided further inspiration. Fascinated by the way the Mayans built towards the sky to get closer to God, he commented that his time in Mexico was "One of the greatest architectural experiences in my life." In America, he visited Frank Lloyd Wright's home, Taliesin West, in the

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

desertJorn Utzon from Telegraph
30 November 2008. and met Charles and Ray Eames."Jørn Utzon (1918–2008)"
''Danishnet.com''. Retrieved 18 September 2011. In 1950 he established his own studio in Copenhagen and, in 1952, built an open-plan house for himself, the first of its kind in Denmark. In 1957, he travelled first to China (where he was particularly interested in the Chinese desire for harmony), Japan (where he learnt much about the interaction between interiors and exteriors) and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

, before arriving in Australia in 1957 where he stayed until 1966. All this contributed to Utzon's understanding of factors which contribute to successful architectural design.

Architectural approach

Utzon had a Nordic sense of concern for nature which, in his design, emphasized the synthesis of form, material and function for social values. His fascination with the architectural legacies of the ancient Mayas, the Islamic world, China, and Japan also informed his practice. This developed into what Utzon later referred to as

Additive Architecture Additive Architecture is an approach used by Danish architect Jørn Utzon to describe his development of architectural projects on the basis of growth patterns in nature. Mogens Prip-Buus, one of Utzon's closest colleagues, reports that the term ...

, comparing his approach to the growth patterns of nature. A design can grow like a tree, he explained: "If it grows naturally, the architecture will look after itself.""Jørn Utzon: Danish architect who designed the Sydney Opera House", ''The Times'', 1 December 2008.

Sydney Opera House

In 1957, Utzon unexpectedly won the

competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, ind ...

to design the

. His submission was one of 233 designs from 32 countries, many of them from the most famous architects of the time. Although he had won six other architectural competitions previously, the Opera House was his first non-domestic project. One of the judges,

Eero Saarinen Eero Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1910 – September 1, 1961) was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer noted for his wide-ranging array of designs for buildings and monuments. Saarinen is best known for designing the General Motors ...

, described it as "genius" and declared he could not endorse any other choice. The designs Utzon submitted were little more than preliminary drawings. Dr. Emory Kemp's consulting career began at Ove Arup, where, he conducted analytical calculations for the roof, noting this was no simple task, as Utzon’s sketches were designed to embellish the beauty of the international landmark, not necessarily for simple mathematics. Concerned that delays would lead to lack of public support, the Cahill government of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

nonetheless gave the go-ahead for work to begin in 1958. The British engineering consultancy Ove Arup and Partners put out tenders without adequate working drawings and construction work began on 2 March 1959. As a result, the podium columns were not strong enough to support the roof and had to be rebuilt. The situation was complicated by Cahill's death in October 1959. The extraordinary structure of the shells themselves represented a puzzle for the engineers. This was not resolved until 1961, when Utzon himself finally came up with the solution. He replaced the original elliptical shells with a design based on complex sections of a sphere. Utzon says his design was inspired by the simple act of peeling an orange: the 14 shells of the building, if combined, would form a perfect sphere. Although Utzon had spectacular, innovative plans for the interior of these halls, he was unable to realise this part of his design. In mid-1965, the New South Wales Liberal government of Robert Askin was elected. Askin had been a 'vocal critic of the project prior to gaining office.'Farrelly, Elizabeth, "High noon at Bennelong Point"
, ''Canberra Times''. Retrieved 21 September 2011. His new Minister for Public Works,

Davis Hughes Sir William Davis Hughes (24 November 1910 – 16 March 2003) was an Australian politician. He was notable for his involvement in the controversial resignation of architect Jørn Utzon from the Sydney Opera House project in 1966. Early life H ...

, was even less sympathetic. Elizabeth Farrelly, Australian architecture critic has written that Utzon soon found himself in conflict with the new Minister. Attempting to rein in the escalating cost of the project, Hughes began questioning Utzon's capability, his designs, schedules and cost estimates, refusing to pay running costs. In 1966, after a final request from Utzon that plywood manufacturer Ralph Symonds should be one of the suppliers for the roof structure was refused, he resigned from the job, closed his Sydney office and vowed never to return to Australia. When Utzon left, the shells were almost complete, and costs amounted to only $22.9 million. Following major changes to the original plans for the interiors, costs finally rose to $103 million. The Opera House was finally completed, and opened in 1973 by

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

Queen of Australia Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

. The architect was not invited to the ceremony, nor was his name even mentioned during any of the speeches. He was, however, to be recognised later when he was asked to design updates to the interior of the opera house. The Utzon Room, overlooking Sydney Harbour, was officially dedicated in October 2004. In a statement at the time Utzon wrote: "The fact that I'm mentioned in such a marvellous way, it gives me the greatest pleasure and satisfaction. I don't think you can give me more joy as the architect. It supersedes any medal of any kind that I could get and have got." Furthermore,

Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions. His works are considered ...

, one of the

Pritzker Prize The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an international architecture award presented annually "to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produ ...

judges, commented: "Utzon made a building well ahead of its time, far ahead of available technology, and he persevered through extraordinarily malicious publicity and negative criticism to build a building that changed the image of an entire country."Christopher Hawthorne, "Jorn Utzon dies at 90; Danish architect of Sydney Opera House"
''Los Angeles Times'', 30 November 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2011.

Works in Denmark

While some of Utzon's most notable works are spread around the globe, he was most prolific in his native Denmark, whose landscape inspired him more than any other. Bagsværd Church, just north of Copenhagen, is considered to be a masterpiece of contemporary church architecture, thanks to its bright, naturally illuminated interior and its concrete ceiling straddled with softly-rounded vaulting inspired by clouds."Bagsværd Kirke (1976)"
, ''Dansk Arkitektur Center''. Retrieved 15 September 2011. Designed in 1968, the church was completed in 1976. The

in Helsingør (1958) consist of 63 L-shaped homes based on the design of traditional Danish farmhouses with central courtyards. Built in rows following the undulations of the site, each of the houses not only has a view of its own but enjoys the best possible conditions for sunlight and shelter from the wind. Utzon described the arrangement as "flowers on the branch of a cherry tree, each turning towards the sun.""Jørn Utzon, 2003 laureate, Biography"
, ''PritzkerPrize.com''. Retrieved 17 September 2011. In general, Utzon's houses display sophisticated and varied relationships to the path of the sun. A few years later, he went on to design the

Fredensborg Houses The Fredensborg Houses ( da, Fredensborghusene) form a housing complex in natural surroundings on the outskirts of the small town of Fredensborg in the north of Zealand, Denmark. The houses were designed by Jørn Utzon for Danes who have worked ...

(1963) for Danish pensioners who had worked for long periods abroad. Utzon helped select the site, and planned a complex consists of 47 courtyard homes and 30 terraced houses as well as a central building with a restaurant, meeting rooms and nine guest rooms. His design was inspired by housing in Beijing's

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is a palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, at the center of the Imperial City of Beijing. It is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples including the Zhongshan Park, the sacrifi ...

. The homes are located around a square in groups of three, designed to maximize privacy, natural lighting, and views of the surrounding countryside. When he was awarded the

in 2003, Utzon was specifically lauded for his working designing housing projects that, the jury said, were "designed with people in mind." His Paustian Furniture Store (1988) on Copenhagen's waterfront stands on a multitude of columns inspired by a beech forest. A temple-like finish is achieved by 11 columns with fan-shaped capitals overlooking the harbour. Similar columns are also present inside the spacious interior, stretching up to the skylight dominating the roof. In 2005, in close collaboration with his son

Kim Utzon Kim Utzon (born 1957) is a Danish architect, and son of Jørn Utzon. Biography Kim Utzon was born in 1957 as the son of Pritzker Prize-winning Danish architect Jørn Utzon. He studied architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 197 ...

, he helped to plan the

Utzon Center The Utzon Center in Aalborg, Denmark, was the last building to be designed by Jørn Utzon, the architect behind the Sydney Opera House. In collaboration with his son Kim, who provided the final construction drawings, he planned the centre not as a ...

in Aalborg (completed 2008) designed to inspire young students of architecture. Located on the waterfront, its high sculptured roofs rise over an auditorium, a boathall and a library while the lower roofs of its exhibition rooms and workshops surround a central courtyard, sheltered from the wind. File:Jørn utzon, architects own house, hellebæk, 1950-1952.jpg, Architect's own house, Hellebæk, (1950–1952) File:Middelboe house, holte, jorn utzon, 1953-1955.jpg, Middelboe house, Holte, (1953–1955) File:Romerhusene02.jpg, Kingo houses, Helsingør (1956–1960) File:Fredensborg Houses 17.jpg, Fredensborg Houses (1959–1963)

Other works

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...

's National Assembly Building, completed in 1982, stands on the sea front with (in Utzon's words) "haze and white light and an untidy town behind." Benefiting from an understanding of Islamic architecture, Utzon designed a building consisting of a covered square, a parliamentary chamber, a conference hall, and a mosque. Its waving roof conveys the impression of moving fabric. Its columns are reminiscent of the Karnak temples. The Melli Bank building in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

, slightly set back from the lines of the busy street where it stands, has a reinforced concrete frame faced with natural stone. The ground-level banking hall, naturally illuminated by skylight vaults, is connected to the upper floor by a central spiral staircase, providing maximum flexibility of space.

Later life

On his return from Australia in 1966, Utzon made a stop on

Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...

. Fascinated by the island, he decided to build a summer house there on the top of a cliff near the fishing village of

Portopetro Portopetro is a district of Santanyí on the island of Majorca, in the Balearic Islands of Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ult ...

. Named

Can Lis Can Lis is a house the Danish architect Jørn Utzon built for his wife Lis and himself near Portopetro on the Spanish island of Majorca. Completed in 1971, it consists of four separate blocks linked together by walls and courtyards.

after his wife, the house was based on the home he had intended to build in Australia but was inspired by local materials and climate, setting standards for contemporary Mediterranean architecture. The house consists of five loosely linked blocks with a colonnaded outdoor area, a living room and two bedrooms, each with its own courtyard."Can Lis and Can Feliz in Mallorca, by Jørn Utzon"
''Stories of Houses''. Retrieved 18 September 2011. Although Utzon and his wife spent an increasing amount of time on Mallorca, they became disturbed by all the tourists who came to see their home. They decided to move to a more remote area in the mountains where they built a second house known as

Can Feliz Can Feliz is a summer residence the Danish architect Jørn Utzon built for himself near Portopetro on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Completed in 1994 and located a few kilometres inland on a mountain side near S'Horta, it is the second house Utz ...

, consisting of three blocks for dining, living and sleeping, separated by courtyards. The upper part of the grand theatrical living space is furnished for working with heavy timber bookcases and a large table. A huge window provides magnificent views of the pine forests and the sea beyond. The

in Aalborg, designed together with his son Kim, was the architect's last assignment. In 2005 he commented, "From the bottom of my heart, I hope that the Utzon Center will be a place where positive thoughts converge and where students from the School of Architecture gather when they want to get together to discuss their ideas. It is intended to be a power centre for the architects and people of the future." Utzon died in Copenhagen on 29 November 2008, aged 90, of a heart attack in his sleep after a series of operations. He had never returned to Australia to see the completed opera house. On 2 December 2008 the

Parliament of New South Wales The Parliament of New South Wales is a bicameral legislature in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), consisting of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (lower house) and the New South Wales Legislative Council (upper house). Each ...

passed a special motion of condolence to honour Utzon's life and work. He was survived by his wife, Lis, his sons Jan and Kim, his daughter

Lin Lin or LIN may refer to: People *Lin (surname) (normally ), a Chinese surname *Lin (surname) (normally 蔺), a Chinese surname *Lin (The King of Fighters), Lin (''The King of Fighters''), Chinese assassin character *Lin Chow Bang, character in Fat ...

, and several grandchildren. His sons are trained architects and his daughter is a designer, muralist and artist who was at one time married to the Australian architect Alex Popov.

Buildings and projects

;Major built projects: Svaneke-vandtårn 2003

Water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towers often operate in conju ...

Svaneke Svaneke (''Swencke'' in 1410, from old Danish ''swan'' swan and ''*wīka'' inlet) is a small town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. It lies mainly in Svaneke parish and partly in Ibsker parish. It is Denmark's east ...

, Bornholm, Denmark, 1952 * Architect's own house, Hellebæk, Denmark, 1952 * House in Holte, Denmark, 1953 *

, Helsingør, Denmark 1956–59 * Elineberg Housing,

Helsingborg Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...

, Sweden, 1966 * Planetstaden housing project in

Lund Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish province of Scania, across the Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91,940 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 121,510 . It is the seat of Lund Municipality, Scania County. The Öre ...

, Sweden, 1957–58 *

, Sydney, Australia, 1973 *

, courtyard housing in

Fredensborg Fredensborg () is a railway town located in Fredensborg Municipality, North Zealand, some 30 kilometres north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is most known for Fredensborg Palace, one of the official residences of the Danish Royal Family. As of 1 Jan ...

, Denmark, 1965 * Melli Bank,

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...

Branch, Tehran, Iran, 1962 * Hammershøj Care Centre, Helsingør, Denmark, 1966 * Espansiva building system, pre-fabricated single-family houses, Denmark, 1960s * Bagsværd Church, Bagsværd, Denmark, 1976 *

, Architect's own house,

Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...

, Spain, 1971 *

National Assembly of Kuwait The National Assembly ( ar, مجلس الأمة) is the unicameral legislature of Kuwait. The National Assembly meets in Kuwait City. Political parties are illegal in Kuwait, candidates run as independents. The National Assembly is made up of 50 ...

, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 1982 * Paustian Furniture Store, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1987 *

, Spain, 1994 *

Skagen Odde Nature Centre The Skagen Odde Nature Centre ( da, Skagen Odde Naturcenter), on the northern tip of Denmark's Jutland, is a museum devoted to the effects of sand, water, wind and light. It was designed in 1989 by Jørn Utzon, the celebrated architect behind the ...

, Skagen, Denmark, 1989 (completed by his son Jan Utzon in 1999–2000) * Esbjerg Performing Arts Centre, Esbjerg, Denmark, 1997 *

, Aalborg, 2008 (with

) File:Utzon elineberg helsingborg 05 (1954-66).jpg, Elineberg Housing, Helsingborg, Sweden, (1954–1966) File:Hammershøj Care Centre 2007.jpg, Hammershøj Care Centre, Helsingør, Denmark, (1962–1966) File:Utzon paustian interior.jpg, Paustian furniture store, Copenhagen (1987) File:Utzon Center Aalborg.jpg, Utzon Center, Aalborg (2005–2008) Skagen Odde Naturcenter da 080707

Written works

;Books: *Jørn Utzon, ''The Courtyard Houses: Logbook Vol. I'', Copenhagen, Edition Bløndal, 2004, 180 pages. *Jørn Utzon, ''Bagsværd Church: Logbook Vol. II'', Copenhagen, Edition Bløndal, 2005, 168 pages. *Jørn Utzon, ''Two Houses on Majorca: Logbook Vol. III'', Copenhagen, Edition Bløndal, 2004, 76 pages. *Jørn Utzon, ''Kuwait National Assembly: Logbook Vol. IV'', Copenhagen, Edition Bløndal, 2008, 312 pages. *Jørn Utzon, ''Additive Architecture: Logbook Vol. V'', Copenhagen, Edition Bløndal, 2009, 312 pages. *Jørn Utzon and Philip Drew, ''Sydney Opera House'', London, Phaidon Press, 1995, 60 pages. *Martin Keiding and Kim Dirckinck-Holmfeld (ed.), ''Utzon and the new tradition'', Utzon Library, Copenhagen, Danish Architectural Press, 2005, 262 pages. *Martin Keiding and Kim Dirckinck-Holmfeld (ed.), ''Utzon's own houses'', Utzon Library, Copenhagen, Danish Architectural Press, 2004. ;Journal articles: *Jørn Utzon and Tobias Faber, ''Tendenser i nutidens arkitektur'', Arkitektur, Copenhagen, 1947 *Jørn Utzon, ''Additiv arkitektur'', Arkitektur, Copenhagen 1970, No. 1 *Jørn Utzon, ''Platforms and Plateaus: Ideas of a Danish Architect'', Zodiac 10, Milan 1962 *Jørn Utzon and others, A survey of Utzon's work, some descriptions by Utzon, and the Sydney Opera House as finally contemplated, Zodiac 5, Milan 1959 *Jørn Utzon and others, Utzon's descriptions of the Sydney Opera House, the Silkeborg Museum and the Zurich Theatre. Also Giedion's ''Jørn Utzon and the Third Generation'', Zodiac 14, Milan 1965

Awards and recognition

On 17 May 1985, Utzon was made an honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). He was given the Keys to the

City of Sydney The City of Sydney is the local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament in 1842, th ...

in 1998. He was involved in redesigning the Opera House, and in particular, the Reception Hall, beginning in 1999. In 2003, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

; his son accepted the award on his behalf. In 2003, he received the

, architecture's highest honor. In March 2006, Queen Elizabeth II opened the western colonnade addition to the building designed by Utzon who had not returned to Australia since 1966. His son, Jan, took his place at the opening ceremony instead, saying his father was "too old by now to take the long flight to Australia. But he lives and breathes the Opera House, and as its creator he just has to close his eyes to see it." On 28 June 2007, the Sydney Opera House was declared a

. Following Utzon's death in 2008, on 25 March 2009, a state memorial and reconciliation concert was held in the Concert Hall at Sydney Opera House. ;List of honours: * 1967

C. F. Hansen Medal The C. F. Hansen Medal (Danish: C. F. Hansens Medaille) is awarded annually with few exceptions to one or more recipients by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts for an outstanding contribution to architecture. It is the Academy's highest obtainabl ...

* 1973

RAIA Gold Medal The Gold Medal is the highest award of the Australian Institute of Architects, awarded annually since 1960. The award was created to recognise distinguished service by Australian architects who have: * designed or executed buildings of high merit ...

from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects * 1978 RIBA Royal Gold Medal * 1980

The Daylight and Building Component Award The Daylight and Building Component Award is presented annually to an individual, or group of individuals, who have contributed significantly to the technical, social, artistic or design-related understanding of daylight. Previous awardees include ...

* 1982 Alvar Aalto Medal * 1987

Nykredit Architecture Prize The Nykredit Architecture Prize is the largest Danish architecture prize. Founded by the Nykredit Foundation (an arm of the Nykredit Group), it is awarded annually to a person, or group of people, who have personally, or through their work, made a ...

* 1992

Wolf Prize The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel, that has been presented most years since 1978 to living scientists and artists for ''"achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people ... irrespective of nati ...

* 1998 Sonning Prize * 2000 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement * 2003

Influence

According to

Kenneth Frampton Kenneth Brian Frampton (born 20 November 1930) is a British architect, critic and historian. He is the Ware Professor of Architecture at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University, New York. He has b ...

, Utzon's architectural influence is manifest on three levels: the emphasis given to the roof element, the importance given to the grounding of the building, and the commitment to "the cultural validity of organic growth". Kim Dirkinck-Holmfeld, writing in ''Dansk Arkitektur: 1960–1995'', comments: Utzon did not obtain many commissions in his mother country but his importance was considerable in terms of direct imitation or inspiration. And he was the only Danish architect who made a significant contribution to the global development of

Modernism Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

.Kim Dirkinck-Holmfeld, ''Dansk Arkitektur: 1960–1995'', Arkitektens Forlag, 1995, p. 18–20.

References

External links

*
Interview with Jørn Utzon, October 1992
including essays and photographs.
Profile at the Sydney Opera House
*

CC-By-SA A Creative Commons (CC) license is one of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted "work".A "work" is any creative material made by a person. A painting, a graphic, a book, a song/lyric ...

]
Obituary
in ''The Economist'', 11 December 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Utzon, Jorn 1918 births 2008 deaths Architects from Copenhagen Modernist architects from Denmark Pritzker Architecture Prize winners Recipients of the C.F. Hansen Medal Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal Recipients of the Royal Gold Medal Recipients of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal Honorary Companions of the Order of Australia Honorary Fellows of the American Institute of Architects Wolf Prize in Arts laureates People from Aalborg Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni 20th-century Danish architects Honorary Members of the Royal Academy