New Raffles Place hangout Rasa by Studio Karhard

A new hangout for lovers of music and the arts, Rasa at Republic Plaza in Raffles Place is designed for creativity, connection and collaboration between artists and urban communities.

Rasa means “essence” or “taste” in ancient Sanskrit, and is regarded as one of the basic qualities of classical music, dance and poetry.

The 6,000 sq ft space opens on Jan 10 with live shows, performing arts and curated music programming.

It comprises two rooms, Hall and Floor. Hall has a cocktail bar and restaurant lounge, serving drinks and artisanal ice cream inspired by South-east Asia’s tapestry of colours, scents and tastes.

The bar, which features sweeping curves and is illuminated with a steel mesh, is designed as a centrepiece.

Over at Floor, clubbers walk through an imposing 4.5m-high central saloon-style door into an intimate lounge.

Rasa is designed by one of Berlin’s top studios, Studio Karhard, and is its first project in South-east Asia.

Studio Karhard was founded in 2003 by the award-winning duo of Thomas Karsten and Alexandra Erhard, who are sought after for their unusual and atmospheric interiors. In 2021, they were awarded the Special Mention for Outstanding Design in the Excellent Architecture-Interior Architecture category at the prestigious German Design Awards.

The studio is renowned for its edgy designs for Berlin club Berghain, an institution of techno and culture since opening in 2004.

The design duo describe their concept for Rasa as “modern to futuristic, offering a retreat and communication opportunities”.

Mr Kavan Spruyt, a Singaporean Eurasian whose grandfather was Dutch, founded Rasa in 2023. The 44-year-old has been in the music business since 1999. 

He founded record label and events company Midnight Shift in 2009 an...