Post on 28-Sep-2020
Cristina Garduño FreemanDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY – ARCHITECTURE
2013
University of Technology, Sydney.
Heritage, Media & the Socio-Visual Life of the Sydney Opera House
The Participatory Culture of Architecture
cultu
ral na
rrative
s: a tal
e to be told and retold
perso
nal r
epre
sent
atio
ns: n
ew o
nlin
e co
mm
uniti
es
experience: touching, feeling, moving for oneself borrowing status: symbols o
f end
orsem
ent
familiarity by m
aking: comm
ercial and personal things
mental images: playful formal imaginings
opera, film
, abc in
terview
s, books, b
logs
exhibitio
ns, records, co
llections
tiles
, viw
es, c
urve
s, sc
ale
dist
oriti
ons
mas
cots
, ha
rbou
r silh
ouet
tes
snowdomes, guidebooks, portraits
postcards, souvenirsbran
ding and logos, graff
itti, sta
mps,
advertism
ents, austra
liana
furniture, hats, napkins and costumes
miniatures, cakes, art
visual analogies, jokes, caricatures, puns
photomontages, spiritual similies
iii
Certificate of Authorship/Originality
I certify that the work in this thesis has not previously been submitted for a degree nor
has it been submitted as part of the requirements for a degree except as fully acknowledged
within the text.
I also certify that the thesis has been written by me. Any help that I have received
in my research work and the preparation of the thesis itself has been acknowledged.
In addition, I certify that all information sources and literature used are indicated
in the thesis.
Signature of Cristina Garduño Freeman
iv
Acknowledgements
It is often stated that writing a doctoral dissertation is a lonely experience. Yet it takes the
support of many to complete such an endeavour. Here, I take the opportunity to thank my
family for their enduring support. We made it. This thesis is dedicated to you.
The completion of this dissertation is also the result of the contributions of my
supervisors, colleagues and friends. Dr Naomi Stead as my principal supervisor during
the formative years of this research offered her incisive perspective, attention to detail,
and articulate feedback. She has influenced this project greatly, and I am grateful for her
continued support as an external supervisor. Dr Kate Sweetapple was my co-supervisor
who took on the role of seeing this dissertation to completion. This was a difficult task,
and I appreciate her courageous approach and her confidence that it would come to
fruition. Dr Kirsten Orr joined the supervisory team in its last two years, and her attentive
and articulate feedback along with her practical approach was welcome. I would like to
thank you all.
I am the grateful recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award and a UTS Design,
Architecture and Building Faculty Top-Up Scholarship. Without this financial support,
undertaking a doctorate would not have been possible. During the candidature I received
advice from Bronwyn Hanna and Paul Ashton at my confirmation, from the scholars
from the Oxford Internet Institute Summer Doctoral Program, and from Eric Cook, with
whom I collaborated in 2009/2010. I am appreciative of the encouragement shown to
me by Susan Ashley and Simon Rogers during the development of a journal article
published in the International Journal of Heritage Studies in 2010, titled ‘Photosharing on
Flickr: Intangible Heritage and Emergent Publics’. Sheridan Burke offered feedback on the
research on World Heritage and the Sydney Opera House, and I thank her too. I enjoyed
meeting José van Dijck and am grateful for her warm reception towards the research
at our meeting in 2012. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr Jennifer Gamble for her endless
enthusiasm and encouragement whilst editing the dissertation.
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My colleagues and family are also integral to the completion of this dissertation. Fellow
doctoral candidates, Vicki Leibowitz, Biz Hayman, Brownyn Clarke-Coolee, Jennifer
Preston and Zoe Sadokierski allowed me to articulate my formative ideas. Liisa Naar, Jane
Gavan, Teena Clerke and Sue Osmond, all provided sage advice in the last months of this
work. The encouragement of Lucila Carvahlo, Jemina Napier, Antonia Fredman, Sasha
Baroni, Cameron McAuliffe among the large circle of friends who have cheered me on,
over beers, dinners and kids at play, kept me determined to finish this task. I thank my
parents (all three of them) and my parents-in-law and extended family, for caring for my
family while I was writing.
Finally I would like thank and dedicate this work to my husband Nicholas and
my two children, Izel, now eight, and Tomas, who is now three and was born amid the
candidature. Without you, this project would not have been completed or even worth
doing in the first place.
(Opera House slide by Tom)
wheeee......!!!!
lho,
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Table of Contents
Certificate of Authorship/OriginalityAcknowledgements
Abstract ....................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1
Scholarly Fields ............................................................................................. 4
Methodology .................................................................................................13Collecting, Analysing and Ordering RepresentationsTheoretical Reframing: Participatory CultureObserving Participatory CultureReordering the Collection as Forms of Participatory Culture
The Structure of the Dissertation ..................................................................25
REPRESENTING PRACTICES: TELLING ........................................................27
CHAPTER 2THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 2007 WORLD HERITAGE INSCRIPTION .......37
World Heritage Significance of World Heritage inscription for the Sydney Opera HouseModern Architecture as HeritageCritiques of World HeritageConclusion
REPRESENTING PRACTICES: CRITIQUING ..................................................67
CHAPTER 3THE INSCRIPTION OF ICONICITY: A SOCIAL AND VISUAL VALUE ......... 75
Part One: The Inscribed Values .....................................................................77The Statement of Outstanding Universal ValueValues in HeritageOutstanding Universal Value: Criteria and Conditions
Part Two: The Nomination Dossier ................................................................92Claims Made in the Nomination DossierThe Development of the Sydney Opera House as an IconLiterature Employed in the Nomination Dossier
Part Three: Social Value of Iconic Architecture ........................................... 102Socio-visual Value: Social Value Through Representations in Mass MediaThe Discourse on Social Value
Part Four: Representations .......................................................................... 113Representations of the Sydney Opera HouseCollecting and Ordering as a ProcessConclusion
REPRESENTING PRACTICES: MAKING ......................................................137
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CHAPTER 4PARTICIPATORY CULTURE: EVIDENCING THE SOCIO-VISUAL VALUE OF ARCHITECTURE IN ONLINE MEDIA .........................................155
Part One: Socio-Visual Value & Participatory Culture ................................. 158Participatory Culture and the InternetParticipatory Culture and HeritageIntroduction to the Observations and Analysis of Participatory Culture
Part Two: A Self-Organised Example of Participatory Culture ...................... 188Flickr Groups and the Sydney Opera HouseParticipatory Culture on Flickr - Photosharing PracticesGenerative Communities and the Socio-Visual Value of FlickrThe Significance of Participatory Culture?
Part Three: An Institutional Example of Participatory Culture ..................... 218Myth and UtzonDescription - Personal Tributes to Utzon and the Sydney Opera HouseParticipatory Culture on the Utzon Memorial: Tributes and Online MemorialsAnalysing the Tributes for SentimentAnalysing the Tributes as Mediated MemoriesConclusion
REPRESENTING PRACTICES: TRADING .................................................... 249
CHAPTER 5REORDERING THE COLLECTION THROUGH THE LENS OF PARTICIPATORY CULTURE ......................................................................259
Framing the Representations as the outcomes of Participatory CultureSpeculating on the Representations: How do they Manifest Participatory Culture?Telling the Sydney Opera House: A Textual and Performative PracticeThe Other Taj Mahal: Critiquing the Sydney Opera House Critique: Sublime and RidiculousMaking the Sydney Opera House: Miniaturisation and DerivationTrading the Sydney Opera HouseVisiting and CapturingRepresentations as Evidence of Participatory CultureConclusion
REPRESENTING PRACTICES: VISITING .................................................... 305
CHAPTER 6DIGITAL HERITAGE AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE: RECOGNISING COMMUNITY PRACTICES AROUND ARCHITECTURE ...............................321
Socio-Visual Value and Criterion (vi)Why UNESCO’s Digital Heritage Charter is ObsoleteIntangible Heritage ConventionThe Contingent Communities of Iconic SitesRepresentations of Iconic SitesThe Privileging of Tangible over Intangible Heritage.Conclusion
REPRESENTING PRACTICES: CAPTURING ............................................... 347
CHAPTER 7CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................357
FindingsImplications of the Research
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...............................................................................................367
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List of Figures
Figure 1: Representations of the Sydney Opera House ................................................................................ 2
Figure 2: Results from Flickr Search ........................................................................................................ 16
Figure 3: Results from Internet Search ..................................................................................................... 17
Figure 4: Two Groups on Flickr ............................................................................................................... 22
Figure 5: Utzon Memorial Tributes .......................................................................................................... 23
Figure 6: The relationship between the parts of the World Heritage program............................................. 44
Figure 7: Defacing the Sails .................................................................................................................... 89
Figure 8: World-Famous Iconic Buildings Comprise Architectural Value and Social value ....................... 106
Figure 9: The Ubiquity of the Sydney Opera House According to Richard Weston .....................................114
Figure 10: Representations That Depict the Sydney Opera House .............................................................115
Figure 11: A Photograph and a Serviette.................................................................................................117
Figure 12: Mitchell’s Family of Images ...................................................................................................118
Figure 13: Maps and Memories ............................................................................................................. 120
Figure 14: Types of Representations Gathered from the Internet ............................................................. 121
Figure 15: Chronological Organisation from 2012 to 1957 .................................................................... 125
Figure 16: Order of Reality .................................................................................................................... 128
Figure 17: 1st Order – Reflection of Reality ........................................................................................... 129
Figure 18: 2nd Order – Denatures Reality .............................................................................................. 130
Figure 19: 2nd Order – Absence of a Reality .......................................................................................... 131
Figure 20: 3rd Order – Associative Relationship .................................................................................... 133
Figure 21: 4th Order - Simulacra .......................................................................................................... 134
Figure 22: The Sydney Opera House Official Website .............................................................................. 166
Figure 23: The Sydney Opera House as a Member of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube .............................. 167
Figure 24: Google Images Search on 8th August 2012 Using the Terms: ‘Sydney, Opera and House’ ....... 168
Figure 25: Three Representations of the Sydney Opera House Sourced Using Google Images ................... 169
Figure 26: Sunset from the Sydney Opera House Official Website and Night Scene from Flickr ................ 170
Figure 27: Mosaic Dining Table Top .......................................................................................................171
Figure 28: Websites that Contribute to the Ubiquity of the Sydney Opera House in Visual Culture ........... 173
Figure 29: Homemade Hat and Commercial Snowdome .......................................................................... 180
Figure 30: Scanned Pages from The Red Book in a Digital Gallery .......................................................... 182
Figure 31: Participatory Culture and Representations of the Sydney Opera House ................................... 184
Figure 32: The Relationship Between Artefacts, Participatory Culture and Participatory Media ............... 186
Figure 33: Flickr Group: Sydney Opera House ....................................................................................... 192
Figure 34: Flickr Group: Sydney-alt ...................................................................................................... 193
Figure 35: Performing Photography ....................................................................................................... 196
Figure 36: Photographs Posted on Flickr Start as Creative Engagements at the Sydney Opera House ....... 198
Figure 37: Real-time Updates from Sydney Opera House Group as Displayed on Author’s Home Page .... 200
Figure 38: Slideshow Mode Showing Photograph from Sydney Opera House Group Pool ......................... 202
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Figure 39: Thumbnail Mode Showing Group Pool from Sydney Opera House .......................................... 203
Figure 40: Individual Mode Showing Photograph by Flickr User “Lutherankorean” from Sydney Opera House Group Pool ....................................................... 204
Figure 41: Sydney Opera House Group Discussion Thread ...................................................................... 208
Figure 42: Other Representations of the Sydney Opera House in Group Pool ........................................... 209
Figure 43: Sydney, Australia Group Icon ............................................................................................... 212
Figure 44: Mediated Memories by José van Dijck ................................................................................... 214
Figure 45: Utzon Tributes Wordle .......................................................................................................... 226
Figure 46: Utzon Tributes Wordle with High Frequency Words Removed ................................................. 227
Figure 47: Typographic Map Love ......................................................................................................... 229
Figure 48: Typographic Map Sad........................................................................................................... 230
Figure 49: Wordle Content Analysis ....................................................................................................... 233
Figure 50: Terms that Correlate with van Dijck’s Mediated Memories ..................................................... 234
Figure 51: Typographic Map My ............................................................................................................ 237
Figure 52: Typographic Map People ...................................................................................................... 238
Figure 53: Typographic Map Inspire ...................................................................................................... 239
Figure 54: Typographic Map Remember ................................................................................................. 240
Figure 55: Typographic Map Feel .......................................................................................................... 241
Figure 56: Typographic Map Visit ......................................................................................................... 242
Figure 57: Table Cross-Referencing Findings .......................................................................................... 244
Figure 58: Writing a Tribute: A Reflective Practice ................................................................................ 246
Figure 59: Rose’s Sites of Meaning for Images ....................................................................................... 262
Figure 60: Participatory Culture in this Chapter .................................................................................... 264
Figure 61: Schema of Participatory Culture ............................................................................................ 266
Figure 62: Telling: Yeomans, Wikipedia, Eighth Wonder, Eoghan Lewis .................................................. 269
Figure 63: The Sydney Opera House and the Taj Mahal ......................................................................... 272
Figure 64: Critiquing: Flowers, Sails, Clouds, Dishes, Cornette Wimple and Turtles Copulating............... 274
Figure 65: Dame Edna’s Ascot Races Hat .............................................................................................. 276
Figure 66: 1962 Hats – Serious, Handmade and Performed ................................................................... 278
Figure 67: Susan Giles Spliced Buildings ............................................................................................... 280
Figure 68: Repurposed Miniatures - Cake, Chook (Chicken) Shed and Origami ....................................... 282
Figure 69: Repurposed Language – Speakers, Campervan and Jewellery ................................................. 283
Figure 70: Ordinary Things Made More Valuable as Merchandise ........................................................... 286
Figure 71: Logos - Sydney 2000 Olympic Bid, Sydney Writers Festival, Sydney Swans Sports Team, Australasian College of Hair and Beauty ............................................................................... 287
Figure 72: American Airlines Advertisement and Australian Postal Stamp ............................................. 289
Figure 73: Models Made from LEGO ...................................................................................................... 290
Figure 74: LEGO Sydney Opera House Kit ............................................................................................. 292
Figure 75: LEGO Kits and LEGO Themeparks ........................................................................................ 293
Figure 76: Maps, Guidebooks and Souvenirs .......................................................................................... 295
Figure 77: People Looking .................................................................................................................... 296
Figure 78: Scale and Relationship ........................................................................................................ 298
Figure 79: Performing at the Real and LEGO Sydney Opera House ........................................................ 300
Figure 80: Comparison of Representations of 7 Iconic Places. ................................................................ 339
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Abstract
In 2007 the Sydney Opera House was inscribed onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List
as a masterpiece of 20th century architecture and engineering, and for its value as a
‘world-famous iconic-building’. The inscription serves to establish the building’s international
significance, yet methods to evidence and better understand its social value for global
audiences remains largely unaddressed. The thesis investigates and evidences the building’s
social value through practices in popular culture enabled and made visible by the recent
growth of online participatory media, arguing that such representations of the building and
the online interactions around these are cultural practices through which people engage with
the Sydney Opera House. Further, these practices are significant because they offer individuals
and groups a means to negotiate their collective and individual senses of identity.
Using the concept of participatory culture the thesis explores the anecdotal attachment
people have for this work of iconic architecture. Through visual analysis of a collection of online
representations gathered on Pinterest.com the social value of this place is evidenced in the
everyday engagements of people that are inspired by the building, such as visiting it, collecting
souvenirs, posting photographs or making opera-house-shaped cakes. Closer observations of
participation in photosharing groups on Flickr.com and tributes posted to the Sydney Opera House
Utzon Memorial website demonstrate that such popular activities are complex social
negotiations of memory and identity. The investigation concludes that social value is a cultural
process; one that is co-constituted between tangible, intangible and digital forms of culture.
The thesis is located at the intersection of architecture, heritage studies and media
studies. The argument builds on the scholarly contributions of Terry Smith, Leslie Sklair,
Jose van Dijck and Henry Jenkins as well as the discourses on World Heritage, Intangible
Heritage and Digital Heritage to demonstrate that although at present participatory culture
of architecture is unable to be recognised by UNESCO’s suite of heritage instruments, the
everyday social engagements around the Sydney Opera House contribute to its broader
cultural significance.