Danish architect Jørn Utzon designed the Sydney Opera House, completed in 1973.
Utzon won the international competition for the project in 1957 with a visionary design featuring a group of sail-like shells overlooking Sydney Harbour. His proposal was selected from 233 entries, and it became one of the most recognizable buildings of the 20th century.
Construction began in 1959, but the project encountered major engineering, political, and financial difficulties. The roof shells were especially challenging to realize, because their complex geometry had to be adapted into buildable structures. Costs and delays increased substantially, and Utzon resigned from the project in 1966 before the building opened.
The Sydney Opera House was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973. Utzon later received the 2003 Pritzker Prize. In 2007, UNESCO listed the building as a World Heritage Site, praising both its architecture and its structural innovation.