When the Director of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, Eugene Goossens insisted on having a suitable venue for large theatrical productions back in the 1940s, no one had a single idea that the project that followed would become one of the most prominent buildings in the world. The construction of Sydney Opera House started in 1959 with the demolishing of Fort Macquarie Tram Depot that occupied the site. The design was prepared by a Danish architect Jørn Utzon who won the international competition for the project, beating 233 entries, representing architects from 32 countries. The construction was split into three stages, podium, roof and interior and was finished by 1973. The structure cost $102 million (equivalent to ~A$927 million in 2016) and looms at 65 m (213 ft).