Its distinctive white sails and prominent position jutting into the harbour make this the most widely recognised landmark of urban Australia. A source of controversy in Australia since it was built between 1958 and 1973, it has been called both "a bunch of mussels stuck in the mud" and "the building of the century."In 1954, the State Premier commissioned a committee to build the Sydney Opera House. Bennelong Point was chosen as the location and 233 proposals from around the world were submitted to the committee. Danish architect Joern Utzon, who apparently got his idea from pealing an orange, dazzled the committee and caught their imagination with his design. As a result, Utzon's design was chosen and construction began in 1958. In 1966, Utzon resigned as architect of the Opera House (due to pressures from unions and the government) and left it in the hands of Australian architects. After cost blowouts, the Opera House finally opened in 1973, some 15 years later and at a total cost of $102 millions dollars (which included state-run lotteries to help funding), well above the projections of 4 years and $7 millions dollars.Despite being touted by controversy, most of which have been long forgotten, the Opera House remains a favourite spot for tourists and an enduring Sydney monument. The Opera House hosts a wide range of performances throughout the year, including opera, drama, jazz and music. Some of the features to look for are the Concert Hall, Opera Theatre, the monumental stairs leading up to the Opera House, and the famous Bennelong Restaurant. Guided tours run daily but depend on scheduled performances.Daily tours depart from lower forecourt level from 9:15am to 4pm. Did you know? There are 1,056,000 Swedish ceramic tiles on the roof. The Grand Organ in the Concert Hall has 10,500 pipes - from little finger size to 10m tall. 3000 events are staged at the Opera House each year. The Opera House employs 500 staff. It costs $40 million a year to run.