Masterpiece, The – Jørn Utzon: a Secret Life

A dual biography of the Sydney Opera House and its elusive master craftsman. Utzon was desperate to escape the fame that followed him after his creation came to fruition in 1966, and he remains resistant to any serious reflection on his life and work. It has taken 30 years of persistent research to gain an understanding of his character.

The story of both a great architect and his greatest building. Jorn Utzon had the good fortune to win the international design competition for the Sydney Opera House in 1957, but he was unlucky – from the outset the enterprise was mired in parochial politicking. His withdrawal from the Opera House project in 1966 was in part prompted by strained relationships with NSW politicians and engineers over the design and building process, and in part due to the huge tax burden created by dual Australian-Danish residency. He left Australia and never returned to see his masterpiece. pp. xvi, 574 illusts #0420