The Gothenburg Opera stands at Lilla Bommen on the south bank of the Göta älv. Backed by strong local support, construction began in June 1991 and the building was completed in October 1994. It was inaugurated over three evenings from 30 September 1994, when the singer Birgit Nilsson, its godmother, welcomed it to the quayside. Architect Jan Izikowitz took his inspiration from harbour cranes, bridges, ships' hulls, seagulls' wings and sails. The classical-style auditorium seats 1,276, and the orchestra pit holds about 100 musicians. The 160-metre-long building brings together all the departments previously spread across six locations. Opera, ballet, musicals and operetta are performed here; the first opera production was Aniara. In 2000 it hosted Melodifestivalen. The house is owned by the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Opera, opened in 1994 at the port of Gothenburg, has spectacular ship-shaped architecture — the form symbolises Gothenburg's maritime tradition as Sweden's most important port city.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Location
- Göteborg, Sweden
More venues in Göteborg
- Gothenburg Concert Hall · Concert hall, Gothenburg
- Stora Teatern Gothenburg · Multi-genre theatre, Gothenburg
More venues in Sweden
- Berwald Hall · Concert hall, Stockholm
- Cirkus Stockholm · Multi-genre theatre, Stockholm
- Dansens Hus Stockholm · Theatre, Stockholm
- Dramaten · Theatre, Stockholm
- Folkoperan · Opera house, Stockholm
- Gävle Concert Hall · Concert hall, Gävle
- Helsingborg Concert Hall · Concert hall, Helsingborg
- Helsingborg City Theatre · Theatre, Helsingborg