When I thought about a space that would be easily analyzed compositionally, I thought about theaters. When I saw the Sydney Opera House I knew it was an amazing space and I had seen it before, but the interiors are so complex and the design is very interesting. The Opera House as anyone would expect is on a monumental scale. A human would feel completely insignificant in the space. The exterior of the building itself demands attention, but upon entering the space one is overwhelmed with a sense of awe. The geometric shapes that form the shell of the building are repeated within the interiors to create a connection. The composition of the space delegates how people interact and view the space.
The main purpose of the space is to provide an area to view theatrical performances. The designer intentionally arranged the seating in ways which allowed the show to be viewed from multiple sides. All two and three dimensional aspects of the space are rectilinear and have a central emphasis on the stage. Your eye can follow any line in the space to that central focus and the reason why everyone is there. This sectioning of seating and strong use of line creates isles and forms specific traffic patterns through the space.
Although the building itself has one specific purpose, there are individual spaces (mostly the separate seating areas) that are all similarly proportioned. The largest areas though are the stage and the massive step seating area directly in front of the stage. The designer did a very good job of relating the floor plan to the three dimensionality of the space. When I look at the interior of the Sydney Opera House, it reminds me of a symphony. I am not exactly sure of the designer’s intent here, but it feels as though it embodies what an opera house should be. When you see these pictures how do you think the space would make you feel? Do you feel as though the designer did a good job of relating both the two and three dimensionality of the space? How do you think the designer wants an person to feel in this space?
