An innovative digital mapping program helped meet the high expectations and strict timelines of this nationally significant project.

Through early engagement with the client, Laing O'Rourke was able to deliver an ambitious programme of works to upgrade the World Heritage Listed Sydney Opera House to enable New Year's Eve celebrations to occur.

We worked with the Opera House and its design teams to identify the smartest, most efficient and sensitive solutions for this important project.

The entire structure of the Opera House was digitally mapped using Laing O’Rourke’s Digital Engineering expertise. This helped to deliver the best result for the World Heritage site’s visitors, performers and the wider Australian community.

How it happened

The project was divided into five parcels and included upgrades to the Opera House’s two largest internal performance spaces, the Concert Hall and the Joan Sutherland Theatre, plus upgrades to the foyers and new learning and function centres.

Digital mapping enabled extensive investigation into the existing structure, services and buildability. This led to improvements of the design, allowing significant upgrade works to be carried out within the Opera House’s live environment.

The result

Our local and global experience in the delivery of major works in sensitive and city centre environments was tapped to develop well-defined and proven processes. These processes facilitated deep and efficient collaboration, innovation in digital management and best-practice design, procurement and delivery.

A 24-hour rotating shift pattern ensured minimal disruption and meant we were able to deliver the upgrades to the iconic site in a live environment and prior to the New Year’s Eve deadline.