UTZON FINALLY WITHDRAWS

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31005, 10 March 1966, Page 17

UTZON FINALLY WITHDRAWS

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

SYDNEY, March 9

Events yesterday confirmed Mr Joern Utzon’s withdrawal as architect for the 50 million dollar Sydney Opera House.

The Danish designer declared last night that he had been forced out of the partlycompleted project by the New South Wales Government.

■ Mr Utzon, who announced his resignation last week as architect after a row over a fee for about 100.000 dollars, and the choice of lining materials, said he had not been able to get anywhere in his last 10 months’ work. “Felt I had nowhere to go with all my drawings,” he said. As a member of his staff held up a plywood model of a section of the Opera House. Mr Utzon told reporters: “I had nowhere to take these things—there was one man between me and the Minister. “But,” he said, “up to today 1 had intended to stay in Sydney as the architect.” "Impossible” Conditions

Mr Utzon said that the Government’s conditions were impossible. He said the Sydney Opera House was “dying.” It was “sick on the bed” right now. Mr Utzon said that the Opera House could be com-

pleted in perhaps half the time but it would not be as he had envisaged it. The Government had eliminated his spirit. The tall, greying Danish architect, who put in the winning design for the Opera House almost a decade ago. said: “This is not personal with me; I saw only the building.” The Government is believed to be certain it will have sufficient leading architects to form a panel to guide the project to its completion.