Next week, the modernization of the Sydney Opera House will begin

Sydney - Next week, the renovation of the famous Opera House in the Australian city of Sydney will begin. The aim of the project, which costs 273 million Australian dollars (4.95 billion CZK), is primarily to improve the acoustics of the interior of the building, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The first room to be closed is the auditorium named after the Australian singer Joan Sutherland, where the modernization will start on May 20, the AFP agency reported.

For the Sydney Opera, this will be the largest renovation since its opening in 1973. "All the technology we are using... was installed in the 1960s, so it was actually designed in the 1950s. Right now we are trying to keep technologies from the 1950s alive," said manager Philby Lewis.

The restoration of the Joan Sutherland Theatre for opera and ballet performances is expected to last seven months, until December; the other opera halls will remain in operation during this time.

The government of New South Wales, where the Opera is located, has previously promised that the modernization of the building designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon will not change the exterior appearance of the structure resembling the sails of a giant sailing ship. It is precisely due to this design that the Opera in Sydney Harbour has become world-famous.

The Sydney Opera is visited by eight million people each year. However, disappointment over the poor acoustics has accompanied it since its opening.