BackStory: Nov 24

On Thursday the Sydney Opera House will be in the spotlight across CNN’s global audience.

“The Revealer” is BackStory’s signature segment unearthing fascinating secrets about places and stories we think we know and this week it looks at the inspiration for Danish architect Jorn Utzon’s design.

CNN audiences will learn that this iconic Australian landmark is a masterpiece of late modern architecture, a focal point of Sydney’s cultural history and one of the busiest centres for performing arts. Most locals will tell visitors that the great white shells of the structure reflect the sails of the boats populating the city’s harbour. However, the true inspiration behind Danish architect Jorn Utzon’s design were the Mayan pyramids at Chichen Itza in Mexico and the roofs of temples in China.

“The Revealer” will look into the ideas that Utzon gathered from all over the world to design his celebrated UNESCO World Heritage building and how, in the end, segments from a simple orange were used to solve the complex geometrical issue of creating the white shells.

BackStory airs Monday to Friday at 9pm AEDT on CNN.

Updated: now Friday night,