Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that can help answer the question.
Query: How much money did the Sydney Opera House cost to build?
The cost of the project so far, even in October 1966, was still only $22.9million,[39] less than a quarter of the final $102million cost. However, the projected costs for the design were at this stage much more significant.
Opened in 1973, the Sydney Opera House was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon. Its construction was partly financed by the Opera House Lottery. Utzon left under acrimonious circumstances before the building was finished; later work was completed by other architects. Located on Bennelong Point on Sydney Harbour, the building is a World Heritage Site. The tallest point in the city is the Sydney Tower built in the late 1970s-early 1980s, when height restrictions were far more lenient. The observation tower provides views of the entire city. 
The Sydney Opera House Trust operates and maintains the Sydney Opera House in Sydney for the Government of New South Wales in Australia. 
Sydney, the host city of the 2000 Summer Olympics, held a large fireworks display centering on the Harbour Bridge with the locally famous graffito "Eternity" being recreated. For the first time in its history, the Sydney Opera House precinct was almost completely cordoned off from the public. Instead, tickets costing as much as each were being sold for Opera House parties. However, public transport and access was available to view the fireworks on the Bridge, which included the "waterfall" effect.
The Tarpeian Way is of State significance for its prominence as a quarried, weathered sandstone cliff face, with stone steps and iron railing, which defines the northern boundary of the Royal Botanic Garden and the southern boundary of the Sydney Opera House. The drama, scale and simplicity of the quarried sandstone face of theTarpeian Wall plays a crucial role in supporting the entry point and setting of the Sydney Opera House, where it provides an enclosing "backstage wall" to the open forecourt space. It is considered a "crucial element in [the World Heritage] Buffer Zone . . . including its steps and upper perimeter fence. Although not legally on the Sydney Opera House site, it immediately borders and defines its southern edge and the open space of the forecourt. Because of its scale, location and configuration, it plays a crucial role in the approach and entry experience, setting, and definition, of the Sydney Opera House site." A substantial rock cutting of the Bennelong headland, undertaken in 1880 at a cost of , it enabled the extension of Macquarie Street. 'Its vertical quarried sandstone face, with its steps and fence, is an historic artefact in its own right and retains the only visible evidence of activities on the Sydney Opera House site predating the Opera House itself.' Its traces of anti-Vietnam War graffiti dating from the 1970s are of State significance as a remnant of an important Australian social movement in a major public space. The Tarpeian Way is of local significance for its associations with politicians and bureaucrats who authorised and undertook the cutting in 1880 including Sydney Alderman C. Moore, J. S. Farnell, then Minister for Lands, E. Bradridge, City Surveyor and Mr. Moriarty, the Engineer for Harbours and Rivers. The Tarpeian Way has an unusually dramatic, classical association through its name with the famous rock in Rome from which prisoners were hurled to their deaths in ancient times. The Tarpeian Way is of State social significance for the high regard in which it is held as a dramatic backdrop to the forecourt space of the Sydney Opera House, and as an access point between the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Botanic Garden. It is often used by members of the public enjoying its marvellous views of the Sydney Opera House and harbour setting.
The Grand Finale occurred on 23 November at the Sydney Opera House. The 2008 finale unlike previous finales was held outside the Sydney Opera House rather than inside the building.
An early scene in the film set on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour in 1974, with the Sydney Opera House as a backdrop, shows buildings adjacent to the iconic structure which did not exist until 1998.
It is estimated that 1.5 million spectators viewed the fireworks in the city, where 130 people were arrested during the course of the event. The total amount spent on cleaning up the immense amount of rubbish left behind cost around $160,000, funded by the City of Sydney. During the day, many spectators were turned down from vantage points such as the Sydney Opera House and Mrs Macquarie's Chair due to limited crowd capacity of arriving late. By 1:00pm the Opera House was closed when the crowd was full, upon entering the front deck of the Opera House, spectators needed a stamp on the arm from security guards during the morning hours of 8:00am–11:50am.
In the late 1920s, movies were invented and introduced to the world. This had greatly impacted Lai Chun Yuen’s business as people preferred “talking films” as compared to opera shows. The increased in cinema halls in amusement parks like the Great World City was a competition to the opera house. The owner of the opera house wanted to include a movie room to ensure the opera house’s survival but eventually the opera house was rented to the Shaw Brothers and the opera house was renamed Sun Seng Theatre. 
However, the business did not last long as the theatre was bombed during World War II. Much of the building was destroyed and the building was only repaired after the war. After the restorations, the building was used for a merchandise shop and then a warehouse for street hawkers as there was a need for jobs back then. In recent years, the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation (Singapore) occupied the building before the current Santa Grand Hotel. A brief interview with the hotel manager, Christine Hoo, revealed that the hotel leases the building from the Royal Holdings. The hotel reflects the Concept Plan as the area is zoned for commercial purposes. The reason for this is probably due to Singapore Tourism Board’s push for place-making initiatives, such as festivals, in Chinatown. As such, Chinatown is one of the major tourist destinations in Singapore and hence, there is the demand for a hotel. The strategic location of hotel is often praised by the hotel guests. 
In 1962, after the city hall had relocated up the street, the Hudson Opera House became a local Moose Lodge and was later sold to an out-of-town developer. Afterward, the building was left abandoned where it began to decay. A group of concerned citizens gathered together to renovate the historical building; in 1992 they formed the Hudson Opera House, Inc., a non-profit organization set on bringing the Hudson Opera House back to full community use. In 1996, the organization began a campaign which "raised the money to open the first restored room in the building, the West Room, in December 1997" (Hudson Opera House). Since that time the group has raised enough money to restore five other rooms on the first floor that now are host to numerous different cultural events.
For the first stage, Utzon worked successfully with the rest of the design team and the client, but, as the project progressed, the Cahill government insisted on progressive revisions. They also did not fully appreciate the costs or work involved in design and construction. Tensions between the client and the design team grew further when an early start to construction was demanded despite an incomplete design. This resulted in a continuing series of delays and setbacks while various technical engineering issues were being refined. The building was unique, and the problems with the design issues and cost increases were exacerbated by commencement of work before the completion of the final plans.
There is no doubt that the Sydney Opera House is his masterpiece. It is one of the great iconic buildings of the 20th century, an image of great beauty that has become known throughout the world – a symbol for not only a city, but a whole country and continent.
Utzon visited Mallorca in 1966 when returning from Australia after disagreements with the authorities about how to complete his iconic Sydney Opera House. He was enchanted by the island and decided to build a summer residence there. Can Lis, completed in 1971, stands on the top of a cliff near Portopetro. By the 1990s, the Utzons were spending much of their time there but they were increasingly bothered by the glare of the sun, the pounding of the waves and architects coming to see the house. Utzon therefore decided to build a second house, this time on a more remote, inland site. He took an active part in building the house as he had at Can Lis, making quite substantial changes along the way. Utzon presented the house to his wife Lis on the occasion of their golden wedding, wrapping a red ribbon around the building.
In the late 1990s, the Sydney Opera House Trust resumed communication with Utzon in an attempt to effect a reconciliation and to secure his involvement in future changes to the building. In 1999, he was appointed by the Trust as a design consultant for future work.[60]
The Chicago Opera House, was a theater complex in Chicago, Illinois, designed by the architectural firm of Cobb and Frost. The Chicago Opera House building took the cue provided by the Metropolitan Opera of New York as a mixed-used building: it housed both a theater and unrelated offices, used to subsidize the cost of the theater building. The theater itself was located in the middle of the complex and office structures flanked each side. The entire complex was known as the "Chicago Opera House Block," and was located at the Southwest corner of West Washington Avenue and North Clark Street.
Though its name suggests a single venue, the building comprises multiple performance venues which together host well over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2million people.[6] Performances are presented by numerous performing artists, including three resident companies: Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, more than eight million people visit the site annually, and approximately 350,000 visitors take a guided tour of the building each year.[7] The building is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust, an agency of the New South Wales State Government.
The Tarpeian Way is of State significance for its prominence as a quarried, weathered sandstone cliff face, with stone steps and iron railing, which defines the northern boundary of the Royal Botanic Gardens and the southern boundary of the Sydney Opera House. The drama, scale and simplicity of the quarried sandstone face of theTarpeian Wall plays a crucial role in supporting the entry point and setting of the Sydney Opera House, where it provides an enclosing "backstage wall" to the open forecourt space. It is considered a "crucial element in [the World Heritage] Buffer Zone . . . including its steps and upper perimeter fence. Although not legally on the Sydney Opera House site, it immediately borders and defines its southern edge and the open space of the forecourt. Because of its scale, location and configuration, it plays a crucial role in the approach and entry experience, setting, and definition, of the Sydney Opera House site." A substantial rock cutting of the Bennelong headland, undertaken in 1880 at a cost of , it enabled the extension of Macquarie Street. 'Its vertical quarried sandstone face, with its steps and fence, is an historic artefact in its own right and retains the only visible evidence of activities on the Sydney Opera House site predating the Opera House itself.' Its traces of anti-Vietnam War graffiti dating from the 1970s are of State significance as a remnant of an important Australian social movement in a major public space. The Tarpeian Way is of local significance for its associations with politicians and bureaucrats who authorised and undertook the cutting in 1880 including Sydney Alderman C. Moore, J. S. Farnell, then Minister for Lands, E. Bradridge, City Surveyor and Mr. Moriarty, the Engineer for Harbours and Rivers. The Tarpeian Way has an unusually dramatic, classical association through its name with the famous rock in Rome from which prisoners were hurled to their deaths in ancient times. The Tarpeian Way is of State social significance for the high regard in which it is held as a dramatic backdrop to the forecourt space of the Sydney Opera House, and as an access point between the Sydney Opera House and the royal Botanic Gardens. It is often used by members of the public enjoying its marvellous views of the Sydney Opera House and harbour setting.
While cost overruns are a common factor in declaring a project a boondoggle, that does not necessarily mean the project has no benefit. Overruns are common, even with successful projects, and the benefits of a project may ultimately outweigh even steep costs. For example, the cost of construction of the Sydney Opera House ballooned over 1,400 percent, but the building has since become an icon for the city and for Australia.
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the 20th century's most famous and distinctive buildings.[3]
After Beaton's final recital at the Sydney Opera House in 1983, she occasionally sang for special events such as the 80th birthday gala for Sylvia Fisher, and mentored many aspiring singers. The warm reception for Beaton at the Sydney Opera House in 1996, when she attended the gala to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Australian Opera Company, was as much an acknowledgement of her past performances as it was a reminder of how much audiences had missed her on stage in the intervening years. In 2006, at a gala for one hundred guests in honour of Beaton's own 80th birthday, she sang two Scottish songs, accompanied by Geoffrey Tozer. "Still rich and glorious" declared the guest of honour, the renowned Australian opera star Lauris Elms, when she heard Beaton's singing on that occasion.
Designed in 1885 by Thomas J. Welsh, a prominent San Francisco architect, for the amount of $28,000, it was the first opera house to serve the Sacramento Valley. The builder for the community theater was Woodland contractor William Henry Curson. Several years later in July 1892 a fire that started in Dead Cat Alley behind the Opera House destroyed much of what is now the Downtown Woodland Historic District, including the Opera House. There was uncertainty whether the House would be rebuilt when a locally renowned businessman, David N. Hershey, purchased the site. Other local businessmen supported the project in addition to Hershey. The Opera House was rebuilt between 1895 and 1896 by local contractor William H. Winne at the cost of $8,990. Many of the materials from the original building were used including some of the partially standing walls.
The Metropolitan Opera was reluctant to commit to the development, and they refused to take up the site's existing leases until they were certain that they had enough money to do so. In January 1929, Cutting unsuccessfully asked Rockefeller for assistance in buying the leases. Since the Met would not have any funds until after they sold their existing building by April, Heydt suggested that the Metropolitan Square Corporation buy the leases instead, in case the Met ultimately did not have money to relocate. The Met felt that the cost of the new opera house would far exceed the potential profits. They wanted to sell their existing facility and move into the proposed new opera house by 1931, which meant that all existing leases would need to be resolved by May 1930. Otherwise, the new opera house could not be mortgaged, and Columbia would regain possession of the land, which would be a disadvantage for both the Met and Rockefeller.
Ryan's most significant achievements were as Minister for Public Works in the Heffron and Renshaw governments from 1959. In this role, he was involved in the first part of the construction of the Sydney Opera House. Amidst much criticism concerning the rising costs, he stood firm in support of the project, saying in 1964 "This building will bring great credit upon this country."
As a consequence, in 1956, the project of remodeling the building and adapt it to the needs of the opera was studied. Architects planned to build a scene with the necessary elements, an auditorium for 600 people and to create a moat for the orchestra, by extending the Arts House the East, on a plot from the Park Casimir the Great. This study failed due to technical and financial resources it required: it had been calculated that reconstruction would cost as much as 50% of the cost of construction of a brand new building. Thus emerged the idea of erected an independent, modern opera house building in the bend of the Brda river.
On 29 March 2016, an original 1959 tapestry by Le Corbusier (2.18 x 3.55 metres), commissioned by Utzon to be hung in the Sydney Opera House and called Les Dés Sont Jetés (The Dice Are Cast), was finally unveiled in situ after being owned by the Utzon family and held at their home in Denmark for over 50 years. The tapestry was bought at auction by the Sydney Opera House in June 2015. It now hangs in the building's Western Foyer and is accessible to the public.