The revolutionary and world-renowned structure the Sydney Opera House is a prime example of why patterns matter in architecture. Dr Nicola Davies reports.
March 9th, 2015
“The sun did not know how beautiful its light was, until it was reflected off this building,” said American architect Louis Khan, of the Sydney Opera House. However, when Danish architect Jørn Utzon began work, his design, featuring a daring pattern that has become iconic of the Sydney Harbour skyline, was challenging in terms of translating the vision into concrete and steel.
It is when these relationships between materials and geometries are harmonious that there emerges a ‘pattern language,’ as identified by Austrian Architect, Christopher Alexander. Each culture has its own pattern language that has evolved into living spaces that harmonize with the landscape, climate, and that best utilize the light of an area.
Catie Ryan (LEED AP BD+C) of the environmental consultancy Terrapin Bright Green, says, “The Sydney Opera House concert hall uses ample diffuse warm light and less dynamic light, but I would think such a balance is appropriate for this space, where occupants are meant to relax and focus on the performance. The circulation areas of the Opera House, however, make a more dramatic use of light.”
Dynamic and diffuse light and shadow that shift through the day provide visual cues to occupants in transit, guiding them through hallways and up staircases, while also highlighting the grandness of the space. “While we have come to consider good day-lighting as a key energy performance strategy,” says Ryan, “the human health value is in the quality of light and how it keeps occupants connected to diurnal patterns, which is particularly important when remaining in a building for long stretches of time.”
Ryan says humans are drawn to patterns based on nature, “They are appealing because we can relate to them at a subconscious level and our attention to them is natural, even if we don’t realize how our bodies are responding. Why are people willing to spend upwards of 130% more for a property with trees and lake access? Because it makes us feel better.”
Photography by Desireé Hamann
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
Sub-Zero and Wolf’s prestigious Kitchen Design Contest (KDC) has celebrated the very best in kitchen innovation and aesthetics for three decades now. Recognising premier kitchen design professionals from around the globe, the KDC facilitates innovation, style and functionality that pushes boundaries.
A table designed, engineered and created to be adaptable to any setting. To be, and remain “evergreen”, an example of “good design” – design purity, functionality, class.
Architect and academic Juan Du has devoted all aspects of her career to the study of urban development in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and the pursuit of more socially and culturally sustainable outcomes.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Paying homage to that wonderful tool of life, the book, SJK Architects’ design for the new headquarters of Penguin Random House is both a temple to the library and a captivating place to work.
Landing in the city’s financial district for the first time, The Sebel Sydney Martin Place has had its modern interiors completed by Stack Studio.
When iconic brands wield their influence, the ripples extend far beyond aesthetics. And so when the MillerKnoll collective formed, the very concept of design shifted, supercharging the industry’s aspiration to create a better world into an unwavering sense of responsibility to do so.