But today we took a guided tour of the inside. Our guide gave us the whole history of the House - who designed it, how it came about, etc. The design was chosen during a contest. However, the man who designed it didn't have it looked at by any engineers or the like. So that crazy design that won may not have been architecturally sound. The, what they thought, was a generous estimate of building it at $7 million and 3 years turned into $102 million and 16 years. Yikes! A little overrun there, ya think?!
It is a beautiful structure though, inside and out! There are actually two stages in it where they run operas, ballets and productions throughout the year.
And to hear about all the intricate details is amazing. For example, that roof above is made up of tiles that look like something you'd put in a bathroom, laid upon those arrow type shapes and installed arrow by arrow. In its time, it was one of the only curved structures. When it rains, the rain slides down the curves onto the sidewalk that was built with troughs in between composite granite segments where the water was carried out to the harbor. Again, it was all in the details!
Oh, and BTW, here is my view off the balcony of our AirBnB tonight as I write this.
Sorry to write and run, but I've got things to be in awe of!
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