Sydney Cove: Art and Architecture

Exploring cities is something that always excites me. It’s like you’re walking through a living, breathing history book. So when I arrived in Sydney, I just had to visit this one place that captures the essence of the city… Sydney Cove.

Sydney Cove is comprised of three adjacent areas: The Rocks, Circular Quay, and the Sydney Opera House. This place is brimming with love for culture and the arts. On every corner is a story about Sydney exhibited in different mediums.

I particularly chose to start my journey here in Sydney Cove because it has a mix of both old and modern Sydney.

Sydney Opera House

On my previous post, I explored the astonishing icon that is Sydney Opera House. It’s modern architecture adds a pleasant twist to the cityscape and stands as Australia’s bastion for the performing arts. But on my trip, it also served as one of the locations for the 17th Biennale of Sydney. Held every other year (hence the term biennale), this contemporary art exhibition draws a lot of art enthusiats, tourists, and students.

This particular exhibit involves a maze of green plastic strainers. The strainers are piled one on top of the other adding quirkiness to the geometry of the Opera House.

Circular Quay

Pronounced as KEE in British English, this place is the main hub for the Sydney ferry service. People who plan to visit the other areas of Port Jackson like Manly, Watson’s Bay, and Taronga Zoo have to pass thru these gates. But aside from being a ferry terminal, it’s also a venue for sideshows. We chanced upon these performing aborigines where you can have a picture with them.

Along Circular Quay- Left: Guys in yellow giving out free cups of Ski Yoghurt! Right: Our family taking quick photo with the performing aborigines. (While and the man beside me are engaged in such deep conversation... hahaha.)

The Rocks

Completing our Sydney Cove tour is The Rocks, a place with more than 100 years of history written on its walls. Standing as the first settlement in Sydney (circa 1700s), The Rocks paints an old Victorian township lined with pubs and cafes.

The Rocks features classic sandstone structures that made me feel like I was living in the 1800s. Many of these buildings still stand today and in very good condition.

Another noticeable structure in this area is the Museum Of Contemporary Art. It’s architectural style echoes the authoritarian art deco movement that became popular during the 1920s. But since it was “biennale season”, something else was in store. We were taken-aback by this neuron-like steel structure that contrasted the facade.

The authoritarian facade of the Museum of Contemporary Art stands prominently on Circular Quay even if the weather seems to bog everything else down.

This is the neuron-like structure exhibited at the front yard of the museum. This is a part of the Sydney Biennale.

Finally, we had a wonderful view of the Sydney Opera House at The Rocks. The scene was simply breathtaking even though it was cloudy and FREEZING cold. It was a great ending to the diverse and rich culture and history of Sydney.

The Rocks facing Sydney Opera House. This was our last stop for the Sydney Cove walking tour.

-MR-

For more information on the places I’ve visited, you can check out their websites at:

www.mca.com.au

www.sydney.com.au

www.therocks.com