Structural shop drawings at the Sydney Opera House: An instructive model of information flow?

Recent discoveries of structural shop drawings, temporary structures, and contractor's notes related to the Sydney Opera House challenge the canonical history of its iconic 'sails.' These documents reveal sophisticated combinatory solutions for constructing the shells, introducing repetition and flexibility in manufacturing discrete pieces. The findings question the 'spherical solution' rhetoric used in their design and highlight an innovative model of information production and knowledge management that may redefine our understanding of large-scale architectural projects.

Tombesi, P., Stracchi, P., & Cardellicchio, L. (2022). Structural shop drawings at the Sydney Opera House: An instructive model of information flow? IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1101(9), 92018. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1101/9/092018