A conference will be held on Thursday, September 28th in the Palazzo dei Congressi in Bologna as part of Cersaie’s Building, Dwelling, Thinking program to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jørn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House (1973-2023), one of the most important works of modern architecture to make extensive use of ceramic tiles. Ceramic tiles have often been considered no more than a finishing material in construction projects, but a closer look at many great works of contemporary architecture reveals their capacity for experimentation and their ability to lend an original character to the works. One of these is the Sydney Opera House.

The Sydney Opera House was built using predominantly concrete, granite, glass and ceramic materials. The famous white sails made of steel-reinforced precast concrete are clad with more than 1 million glazed ceramic tiles designed by Utzon in collaboration with the Swedish ceramic tile producer Höganäs. French architecture critic and historian Françoise Fromonot together with other special guests will discuss this extraordinary experiment, giving participants a unique opportunity to find out more about a great work that has become one of the landmarks of modern architecture and is celebrated in particular for its use of ceramic tiles.