Bengaluru's Opera House is Samsung's largest experience center now

BENGALURU: The iconic Opera House at the junction of Brigade Road and Residency Road has reopened with a new branding, but it remains what it has always been: an entertainment destination.

Samsung has taken over the British-era building to house what it calls its largest mobile experience centre in the world. Much of the ground floor focuses on the company’s mobile devices. But the building also showcases the brand’s other products, including TVs, refrigerators, washing machines and more, particularly some of the hightech versions.

The most entertaining elements perhaps are the virtual reality (VR) experiences and the home-theatre zone. You can undergo VR experiences where you can strap yourself to a chair that makes three-dimensional movements and slip into the role of a fighter pilot doing extreme aircraft stunts, or experience a space battle or a roller coaster ride. You can also pre-book the home-theatre zone to watch an entire movie with your family.

“It’s the first-of-its-kind centre in the world for us. We have experience centres in New York and Toronto, but those concepts are different. This centre is



a testimony to how Bengaluru is becoming so important on the global stage,” Mohandeep Singh, head of mobile sales in Samsung India, said.

Singh said large open areas have been created where people can meet and discuss, see some of the latest technologies in areas like artificial intelligence and see what more can be done with mobile phones. “We did a small survey in Bengaluru that showed that a majority of residents (81%) have had at least one game-changer idea, but one out of three did not know of a place in the city where they could network with likeminded people and mentors, and nurture their ideas. We expect Samsung Opera House will become that destination where like-minded people come together, talk technology and interact with venture capitalists,” he said.

Opera House was built in the 1930s, and was used for operas and dances during the British cantonment days. It later became a film theatre. The building was in disuse for a long time because of a dispute between the owner and tenants. The issue was eventually resolved. Over the past two years, the structure was restored and the facade continues to don its original look and feel.