In pics | Australia's iconic Sydney Opera House turns 50 celebrates with light show

Sydney Opera House which is arguably one of the most iconic structures and deemed as one of the greatest architectural designs of the 20th century turned half a century, on Friday (Oct 20).

(Photo credit: @SydOperaHouse/X/AFP)

The iconic building was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973 and is visited by nearly 11 million people every year. 

Image shows an aerial view of the Sydney Opera House, taken in August 1973, at the time of its construction.

The building was illuminated on Friday evening by a light show created by Australian audio-visual artist Robin Fox, reported Reuters. The iconic building is also expected to welcome 37,000 people on Saturday for free tours, its first open day in eight years.

Image shows laser beams illuminating the sails of Opera House in Sydney, Australia, on October 20, 2023, during celebrations to mark its 50th anniversary.

"A symbol around the world and a national treasure turns 50," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a post on X. "Happy Birthday to an Australian icon."

(Photo credit: @dallaskilponen)

The construction for the iconic building began in 1959 after architect Jorn Utzon's design was chosen as the winner out of more than 230 submitted as a part of the 1956 Opera House international design competition. The contest had seen the participation of architects from across the world. 

While the project was supposed to take four years to complete, Utzon resigned due to a change in government, design differences and a blowout in costs, the structure took 14 years to complete.

Image shows laser beams illuminating the sails of Opera House in Sydney, Australia, on October 20, 2023, during celebrations to mark its 50th anniversary.