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Discover›Design & architecture
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Jørn Utzon
Architect

Jørn Utzon

Famoose for

Designing the Sydney Opera House.

Sydney Opera House · Bagsværd Church

Born
9 April 1918
Birthplace
Copenhagen
Died
29 November 2008

More people

Zaha HadidDesigning buildings with sweeping, fluid forms.Coco ChanelBuilding Chanel and popularising a simpler style of women’s dress.Christian DiorIntroducing the New Look that reshaped postwar fashion.

Jørn Utzon

Jørn Utzon was a Danish architect whose buildings combined sculptural forms with close attention to landscape, construction and everyday use.

Early life

Ships and drawing

Grew up in Aalborg as the son of a naval architect and studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1937 to 1942.

Career

  1. 1950

    Own studio

    Established a practice in Copenhagen.

  2. 1957

    Sydney competition

    Won the international competition for the Opera House.

  3. 1966

    Departure

    Left the Sydney project before the building’s completion.

  4. 2003

    Pritzker Prize

    Received architecture’s international award.

Selected buildings

Sydney Opera House

His design became the basis of the completed harbour landmark.

Bagsværd Church

Designed a Danish church with a flowing interior ceiling.

Kuwait National Assembly

Designed the parliamentary complex.

Beyond architecture

Mallorca

He and his wife Lis built two homes on the island, Can Lis and later Can Feliz.

Sources & photo creditBiography and career ↗Biographical references ↗Additional biographical or research source ↗

Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.

Photo: Creator not stated; see image source. Source credit retained; reuse licence not established · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.