MADE by the Sydney Opera House

SOH Australian winners of the MADE student exchange - photo by Prudence UptonThe Sydney Opera House has announced five Australian students selected for the 2017 MADE by the Opera House program – an Australian-Danish exchange that continues into new generations the international and interdisciplinary links first forged by Jørn Utzon’s masterpiece.

In January, the five engineering, architecture and design students will travel to Denmark to work together on a six-week, cross-disciplinary project, mentored by a range of prestigious Danish firms and organisations. The Australian students selected to take part in the 2017 MADE program are:

  • Eleanor Gibson – Bachelor of Design in Architecture, University of Sydney;
  • James Hansen – Bachelor of Civil Engineering, University of New South Wales;
  • Jacob Levy – Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) / Bachelor of Design in Architecture, University of Sydney;
  • Awkar Ruel – Bachelor of Design in Architecture / Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation, University of Technology Sydney; and
  • Nicola Shear – Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) / Bachelor of Design in Architecture, University of Sydney.

Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM formally announced the winners at an Opera House MADE celebration, attended by Opera House Eminent Architect Panel member Jan Utzon. Ms Herron also announced that Opera House Partner Airbnb would support MADE by providing accommodation for the students in Sydney and Copenhagen over the next two years.

Now in its third year, MADE was launched by Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at the Sydney Opera House’s 40th Anniversary in October 2013, with the support of The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Arup, Steensen Varming, The NSW Architects Registration Board, and the Bikuben, Dreyer and Obel Family foundations.

In 2015 leading investment house AMP Capital was welcomed as a partner, supporting the exchange with a five-year sponsorship. The program supports five Australian and five Danish students each year and will create an alumnus group of 100 students by the Opera House’s 50th Anniversary in 2023.

The 2016 MADE Danish students also presented their response at last night’s event to the brief they have worked on as part of their exchange. Inspired by a live project for the Sydney Opera House precinct, the brief challenged the students to develop a ‘Kit of Parts’, or temporary outdoor event structures, that would adapt to the huge variety of events held on the Opera House Forecourt, while simultaneously respecting the building’s heritage and Jørn Utzon’s legacy.

“Last week, we unveiled designs for the Opera House’s Renewal, funded by the NSW Government to prepare the building for future generations of artists, audiences and visitors,” said Louise Herron. “It’s so fitting that simultaneously the MADE program is fostering and encouraging the next generation of architects, designers and engineers, who will together design the cultural spaces of our future.

“Thanks to MADE, our Renewal is not just for the next generation, it’s also with them. Through MADE, outstanding students have an opportunity to work together, learn from experts, inspire us and influence thinking, both here and in Denmark.”

For more information about MADE by the Opera House, visit www.sydneyoperahouse.com for details.

Image: Australian winners of the MADE student exchange: James Hansen, Jacob Levy, Eleanor Gibson, Nicola Shear, Awkar Ruel – photo by Prudence Upton