19 January, JOHOR BAHRU – Malaysia’s second-largest city, Johor welcomed its first opera house. Together with the launch of the marina commercial complex, the sparkling Diamond Cluster is going to be the most recognisable landmark in Johor.
The Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House is strategically located at central business district (CBD) and the Singapore-Malaysia Custom Immigration Quarantine (CIQ) in Johor — only 1km away from the Johor-Singapore Causeway.
The R&F Marina Place is a development cluster with six ‘Diamonds’. The first and brightest diamond is the magnificent international Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House; while the sixth and the last will be the upcoming Ritz Carlton Hotel. There is also a commercial area where a high-end wine cellar, fine dining cuisines, trendy fashion, high-tech IMAX & 4D theatres, a yacht club, viewing deck can be found.
The design of Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House and Marina Place was inspired from the shining diamond ornaments on a princess crown. There are six diamonds in different shapes and sizes, forming an architecturally significant cluster. The Opera House stands out with its iconic design especially the surface of the glass, giving a magical reflection to this masterpiece at any time of day and night.
With the permission of His Majesty, our Sultan of Johor, the opera house is named after Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, the Permaisuri of Johor. It was completed in the year 2019 which was also the year of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia. It represents not only a significant landmark in Malaysia but also the friendship between the two countries.