News

NHNZ is joining thousands of Jorn Utzon devotees worldwide in mourning the death of the Danish architect responsible for designing Sydney's Opera House.

The television production company made a one-hour documentary which debuted just over a month ago, telling the story behind the Opera House as part of a series exploring some of the world's most impressive engineering achievements.

As part of the production, NHNZ staff trawled through hundreds of hours of archive footage and interviewed people involved in building what is considered to be one of the 20th century's most widely acclaimed architectural achievements.

NHNZ Marketing and Development Director Neil Harraway says NHNZ staff gained a huge amount of respect for Utzon and the building that earned him the prestigious Pritzker Architecture prize in 2003.

"He was clearly ahead of his time. The Opera House is a testimony to his extraordinary vision and creative brilliance. While the construction phase was fraught with controversy, no one can deny the fantastic legacy Utzon gifted the world through his sheer design genius."

Man Made Marvels: Sydney Opera House was made as a co-production with Discovery Networks Asia, Beach House Pictures and the Media Development Authority or Singapore.

Utzon died aged 90 of a heart attack on Saturday (November 29).