Jørn Utzon

~ Sydney Opera House ~

Danish architect Jørn Utzon.
Best known for his design of the Sydney Opera House in Australia,
has been chosen as the 2003 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
This prestigious honor is widely considered to be the "Nobel Prize" for architecture

The Sydney Opera House is Australia's best-known contemporary building.
Its imaginative design came from an international competition.
Won in 1956 by the Danish architect Joern Utzon (1918-).
Costs mounted enormously during its construction and in the political controversy, Utzon resigned in 1966.
It was finally completed in 1973, at a cost of over A$100 million,
much of which came from a New South Wales government lottery.

Pritzker Prize jury chair, Lord Rothschild, announced:

"Jørn Utzon created one of the great iconic buildings of the 20th century,
an image of great beauty known throughout the world. In addition to this masterpiece, he has worked throughout his life fastidiously, brilliantly, quietly, and with never a false or jarring note."

Besides his design for arguably one of the most successful iconic buildings of the millennium, the jury cites his lesser known works. These include the Lutheran church in Bagsværd, Denmark, two multifamily housing developments, the Kuwait National Assembly, and several houses for his own family.

Here is some of constructions designed by Jørn Utzon:

Bagsværd Church in Copenhagen