Jorn Utzon referred to his Opera House as a kind of cathedral, analogous to a Gothic church in the way that light and movement play across its public spaces. Its complex shell-like roof structures echo Gothic arches in section, but the building breaks with all precedent in its three-dimensional form. Finding a practical solution to the construction of these roofs occupied the architect and the engineer Ove Arup for many years and necessitated considerable experimentation with pre-cast concrete technology. Disputes with his client led to Utzon's resignation and the Opera House looked for a time as if it might be a white elephant. This book looks at the building that since its opening in 1973, after a 16-year gestation, has already become an Australian national icon.