The building nicknamed ‘Nuns in a Scrum’ turns 50yo today, marking the anniversary of its official opening by Queen Elizabeth in 1973. To recap the famous story, the landmark came to be after a design competition was launched in 1957 to build an arts centre on Sydney Harbour. Out of 223 very different entries, Danish architect Jørn Utzon was the winner – but it didn’t all go to plan… The unique design proved tricky to build, taking 14 years instead of 4, and costs blew out from $7 million to $102 million, with the NSW Government raising the shortfall by starting the Australian National Lottery. Utzon departed the project in 1966, and the Opera House officially opened 7 years later. It’s now the nation’s biggest tourist attraction, with 10.9 million people visiting annually. And if you’ve ever wondered what the Opera House would look like if modern architects had designed it, AI has you sorted…