Google has created one of the most comprehensive tours of the Sydney Opera House, that can be accessed without ever setting foot in Australia. On Wednesday the Google Cultural Institute launched its Sydney Opera House experience, including a 360-degree virtual tour for Google Cardboard and over 1,000 digital artifacts that tell the story behind the iconic structure.
The new online museum of sorts includes a collection of 50 digital exhibits with rare archival photos, architectural drawings, historical documents, interviews and even some performances from the opera house.
A virtual reality version of a performance, starring Australian soprano Nicole Car and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, that was designed to be viewed with a smartphone using Google Cardboard, also provides a taste of the experience of being inside the landmark building.
Google incorporated its Street View imagery to tell the story of the Opera House, inside and out, as well.
"Innovation is part of the Opera House's DNA and it is wonderful that our partnership with the Google Cultural Institute has enabled us to weave together the many strands of the Opera House story," said Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron.
Drawing on the collections of several museums, the Australian Broadcasting Company, and other institutions, the online exhibit took six months to create.
The entire digital tour and exhibits can be accessed on the Google Cultural Institute website, and you can get a flavor of what's available from the promotional video below.
Source: Google, Google Cultural Institute
