Want to buy a piece of the Sydney Opera House?

Want to buy a piece of the Sydney Opera House?


norman lebrecht

December 19, 2013

They are trying to raise money by selling off the roof tile by tile, while appealing to cultured people not to let Australia be ruled by philistines. Watch the video. The attitudes it reveals may shock.



  • David J Gill says:

    Curious video. Doesn’t the roof/shell of the opera house need the tiles it has on it’s roof? They don’t address how and why the tiles are available.

    It is ironic that the building is a beloved icon in AU considering how many at the time in the government worked to undermine this very difficult project. Architect Utzon went back to Denmark in a huff over the melding thinking they would relent and he would get his way. They called his bluff and he never returned to Sydney to see his icon. The shells are Utzon everything stuffed in the shells is entirely by others. If Utzon had continued maybe the actual opera house and concert hall might not have been so mediocre.

  • They are not literally raising the roof, just asking patron to “sponsor a tile” http://ownourhouse.com.au/FAQ contains all the details. Essentially there is a virtual opera house with a list of all the sponsors on their named tile.

  • RW2013 says:

    If Lyndon Terracini resigns I’ll buy two…

  • DC says:

    If Lyndon Terracini resigns I’ll buy three…

  • Marguerite Foxon says:

    So, Mr Lebrecht, what are the attitudes it reveals that may shock? Nothing in here shocks me. What shocks you – that the Opera House is going to the public to help raise funds for desperately needed upgrade? My prediction is they will have little trouble selling the tiles. Sydneysiders are very proud of their Opera House, whatever dramas the politicians may have caused during the building of it.