Jørn utzon (1918-2008) - architect
Jørn Utzon
by Ole Haupt, 2000
Collection: National Portrait Gallery, Canberra Purchased with the assistance of the Circle of Friends |
Jørn Utzon was an internationally acclaimed architect who is best known for designing the Sydney Opera House, one of the modern wonders of the world and a UNESCO heritage building.
The project was heavily clouded in controversy and Utzon left prior to completion, never to return to Australia. |
Growing up in denmarkJørn Oberg Utzon was born on 9 April 1918 in Copenhagen, Denmark. His parents were Aage and Estrid Utzon, and Jørn also had a two-year older brother, Leif. When Jørn was a newborn, the family moved to Aalborg in northern Denmark after Aage was offered the job as naval engineer at Aalborg Shipyard. The time spent around the harbour and shipyard as well as his father’s engineering and boat design skills would later prove to be a major influence on Utzon’s architectural designs.
Both boys went to Klostermarksskolen, a private school, and later Aalborg Katedralskole. In 1937, the family moved back to Copenhagen when Aage started work at the Elsinore shipyard as head of the repair department and Jørn was awarded a place at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. |
Aalborg Sea Scouts. Jørn Utzon is middle
row number 4 from the right and his brother Leif in the
same row to the far right. Photographer unknown. Source: The Utzon Center |
early career
Jørn Utzon, 1965 (printed 2006)
by Jozef Vissel
Gelatin silver photograph (40.3 x 30.3 cm) Collection: National Portrait Gallery, Canberra Gift of the artist 2006 |
Soon after graduating in 1942, Utzon relocated to Sweden to join local architect Gunnar Asplund and to work with other Danish designers, Arne Jacobsen and Poul Henningsen, who themselves would become Danish icons later in life. During this time he also worked for the Finnish architect Alvor Aalto, another major influence on his future career.
In 1942, he married Lis Fenger in Stockholm and they went on to have three children Jan (1944), Lin (1946) and Kim (1957). Both boys, Jan and Kim, later went on to become architects with Lin making a name for herself as an artist. After World War II, Jørn travelled extensively around the world, first around Europe (partly to help rebuild temporary houses following the war), and later, |
through a travel scholarship awarded to him in 1949, to North and South America. Here he was particularly influenced by the Aztec and Mayan pyramids which grand constructions with elevated platforms would inspire his design of the Sydney Opera House podium.
Upon his return to Denmark in 1950, Jørn opened up an architect studio and proceeded to be involved in several smaller projects such as the Svaneke Water Tower on the island of Bornholm in Denmark and building his own home in Hellebæk (which later, in 2005, was listed as a protected building) close to the city of Elsinore.
Upon his return to Denmark in 1950, Jørn opened up an architect studio and proceeded to be involved in several smaller projects such as the Svaneke Water Tower on the island of Bornholm in Denmark and building his own home in Hellebæk (which later, in 2005, was listed as a protected building) close to the city of Elsinore.
the opera house
Jørn Utzon in 1966
In 1955, the Premier of New South Wales, J.J. Cahill announced an international competition to design a national opera house in Sydney. More than 200 entries were received with Jørn’s (who at the time was a 38-year old rather unknown architect) being one of the last ones. His winning design was announced on 29 January 1957 and he later recalled how, upon arriving in Sydney a few months later, he was received almost like a film star.
The whole family moved permanently to Sydney in 1963 and all three children attended primary and high school. By Jørn’s own account in later years, the family was so content living in Australia that they contemplated making the move permanent and even had the naturalisation papers ready to go. The children felt Australian and it was their home, more so than the one they had in Denmark.
The story of the Sydney Opera House is well-documented – this was a project initially estimated to cost AUS$7 million, which eventually took 14 years to build with a final bill of AUS$102 million. The project was interspersed with architectural perfectionism, political agendas and engineering difficulties. In the end, before the work was completed, Jørn and his family left Australia, in secret, in 1966 and never saw the Opera House in its final grandeur.
The whole family moved permanently to Sydney in 1963 and all three children attended primary and high school. By Jørn’s own account in later years, the family was so content living in Australia that they contemplated making the move permanent and even had the naturalisation papers ready to go. The children felt Australian and it was their home, more so than the one they had in Denmark.
The story of the Sydney Opera House is well-documented – this was a project initially estimated to cost AUS$7 million, which eventually took 14 years to build with a final bill of AUS$102 million. The project was interspersed with architectural perfectionism, political agendas and engineering difficulties. In the end, before the work was completed, Jørn and his family left Australia, in secret, in 1966 and never saw the Opera House in its final grandeur.
life after sydney
Parliament Building, Kuwait
After Sydney, Jørn went with his wife to live in Hawaii for a few years. Upon their return to Denmark Jørn went on to design a number of buildings in Denmark and abroad. These included the Parliament building in Kuwait, a church in Copenhagen, Fredensborg Husene, a Centre for Nature in Skagen in Northern Denmark as well as their own holiday homes in Spain.
In 1999, the NSW Premier engaged Jørn as the Sydney Opera House architect to develop a set of design principles, in line with his original vision, to be used as a guideline for all future building changes. He also refurbished the Reception Hall and designed a floor-to-ceiling tapestry, which now hangs opposite the harbour outlook. In 2004, this room was renamed the “Utzon Room”.
In 2003, Jørn was awarded the prestigious Pritzker prize, also known as the Nobel Prize of architecture, for his design of the Sydney Opera House. The same year he was made an honorary professor at Aalborg University in Denmark.
Jørn died on 29 November 2008 in Elsinore at the age of 90. His legacy included this iconic building, which today is so uniquely associated with Sydney and Australia thanks to Jørn's daring design. When he died the flags on the Sydney Harbour Bridge were flown at half-mast and the lights at the Sydney Opera House were dimmed in his honour.
Of his father, Jan Utzon later said:
In 1999, the NSW Premier engaged Jørn as the Sydney Opera House architect to develop a set of design principles, in line with his original vision, to be used as a guideline for all future building changes. He also refurbished the Reception Hall and designed a floor-to-ceiling tapestry, which now hangs opposite the harbour outlook. In 2004, this room was renamed the “Utzon Room”.
In 2003, Jørn was awarded the prestigious Pritzker prize, also known as the Nobel Prize of architecture, for his design of the Sydney Opera House. The same year he was made an honorary professor at Aalborg University in Denmark.
Jørn died on 29 November 2008 in Elsinore at the age of 90. His legacy included this iconic building, which today is so uniquely associated with Sydney and Australia thanks to Jørn's daring design. When he died the flags on the Sydney Harbour Bridge were flown at half-mast and the lights at the Sydney Opera House were dimmed in his honour.
Of his father, Jan Utzon later said:
Nothing escaped his keen eye. He observed the world around him with extraordinary clearness. From all the sources of inspiration, be it the pyramids of Mexico, the temple compounds of China, the half-timbered farms of Denmark, the branch of a tree, the leaf on a flower, a stone from the beach, the pattern in the snow, the slant in the sunlight, from music, sculpture, paintings and the humanistic thinking by great philosophers, he created a world of his own, a legacy of great and modest buildings that are ours to enjoy, far beyond his lifetime.