Jorn Utzon - Architect of Sydney Opera House - Dies at 90

Jorn Utzon, the Danish architect whose eye-catching, nautically inspired design for the Sydney Opera House overcame a series of controversies surrounding its budget and acoustics to become one of the most recognizable landmarks of the 20th century, helping to usher in the current era of buildings beloved for their daring and photogenic forms, has died. He was 90. Utzon died of a heart attack early Saturday morning while asleep at his home in Copenhagen, his son Kim Utzon told the Associated Press.

Jorn Utzon, in 1957 at age 38, received word at his home in Denmark that he won an international competition to build the opera house, beating out 232 other competitors. The project — whose overrun budget and delays sparked controversy — was a mixed blessing, giving the architect fame but also heartache.

Figure: Joern Utzon in 1966 with his model of the Sydney Opera House. More>>>

Passage from: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-utzon30-2008nov30,0,6278913.story
Image from: http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/sydney-opera-house-serenades-jorn-utzon/2008/04/09/1207420456773.html