Bjarke Ingels Interview: On Jørn Utzon

The renowned Danish architect Bjarke Ingels here expresses his admiration of what he considers the most recognizable building in the world, designed by his peer Jørn Utzon, who would have turned 100 in 2018: “To me, the Sydney Opera is probably the ultimate building.” “It’s extremely unique, this sort of landmark location on the waterfront of Sydney. It actually becomes synonymous with an entire continent, Australia. It’s actually the most recognizable building in the world.” Ingels feels that, on one hand, the building is unapologetically modern, but that it also draws on archaic buildings, from Chinese pagodas to Aztec temples, reinterpreting them in unique ways. “It was born out of incredible misery,” Ingels says of the fact that Utzon left Australia and the project after almost a decade, and that it was completed without him: “Everything was a disaster, but the final result was somehow worth all of the sacrifice and all of the hardship in order to get there. Waiting for your Sydney