The Sydney Opera House was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007.
UNESCO recognized the building as a cultural World Heritage Site because of its exceptional architectural design and technological innovation. Its sculptural roof, dramatic harbour setting and influence on twentieth-century architecture made it an especially significant modern landmark.
The listing came decades after the building opened in 1973. By then, the Opera House had already become one of Australia’s defining national symbols, but UNESCO status gave it international recognition under the World Heritage Convention. UNESCO identifies the property as site number 166.
The year is sometimes confused with other heritage milestones. The Opera House entered the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2003 and the Australian National Heritage List in 2005. Those earlier national and state designations were not the same as inscription on UNESCO’s global list.