Handrails to be trialled outside Sydney Opera House
There are plans to install railings outside the Sydney Opera House to improve accessibility to the iconic building.
The outdoor stairs leading up to the nation’s most famous building, known as the Monumental Stairs, have no railing down the middle, and Opera House staff plan to experiment with them to make the space more accessible.
According to Australian standards, new buildings must have handrails on their stairs; this was something that was not necessary when the Opera House was built in the 1960s.
The handrails “will be trialled in different configurations at various positions towards the middle of the steps, with the duration in each position yet to be determined”.
A spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald: “The Opera House takes its responsibility to provide universal access to the building seriously and is developing solutions that carefully balance the building’s heritage with its essential function as a public place accessible to all.”
Currently, those with mobility issues must use elevators to reach the foyers and theaters, meaning they will have to skip climbing the Monumental Stairs.
The Opera House has stated that its goal is to “provide barrier-free access, making the site, the building, and the experiences we offer accessible to all” and that there are a variety of options for people with accessibility issues and disabilities.
Not everyone is a fan of the proposed change, with the NSW Heritage Council’s approvals committee voting to oppose the project at a meeting in December.
“(The railings) would have adverse effects on the outstanding significance of the Monumental Stairs and the designation of the Sydney Opera House as an element of local, state, national and world heritage significance,” the committee said in its reasons for opposing the railings.
