Sydney Opera House to start 273 mn Aus dollars renovation

Australia's iconic Sydney Opera House, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, will this week start work on its first major renovation project since 1973.
The 'Theatre Machinery' project, which will cost 273 million Australian dollars, will upgrade the critical equipment and systems in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, with the latest technology replacing original machinery which is over 40 years old.
Sydney Opera House, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage masterpiece, is the most visited site by Indian tourists.
It hosted the biggest cultural event 'Confluence: Festival of India' last year in its famous theatre 'The Concert Hall'.

Upgrades to the concert hall, entry foyers, arrival areas, new function and creative learning centres for children will be part of the renewal works that will start from May 20 this year.
The learning centres will be a dedicated space for children and young people to experiment and learn in a building that embodies creativity and innovation.

The Opera House was originally estimated to cost 7 million Australian dollars to build, exceeded the budget with the final cost totalling 102 million Australian dollars.
The construction was expected to take four years but it took 14 years for it to complete.

The Opera House hosts over 2,000 performances attended by over 1.5 million people every year.
The complex houses seven performance venues -- the Concert Hall, the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Playhouse, Drama Theatre, The Studio, the Utzon Room and the Forecourt.