For a small country, Singapore certainly has a vibrant clubbing scene. The number of great clubs that entertain clubbers are many – Ministry of Sound (MoS), Attica, Home Club, the recently opened St James Powerstation – the list goes on and on. But the one club that triumphs over all other is without a doubt, Zouk.

Recently voted the hottest club in all of Asia, Zouk had its humble beginnings in 3 old warehouses that were built in 1919 on the Singapore River. From a single club in 1991, Zouk added Velvet Underground (1994) and then Phuture (1996) to its sprawling complex, to form 3 interconnected clubs, in short, a giant superclub. It’s a place where people that appear have absolutely gorgeous dress sense, and where clubbers are totally comfortable with their own appearance and where bodies mingle naturally to the music beat.

Gone are the days where there were still stamps that let you into the club but not buy alcoholic drinks if one was under-18. Gone are the days when Phuture was still MTV Bar and had a pool table, and when Velvet Underground was still a restaurant and a microbrewery.

Today, there is the wine bar terrace (Zouk Winebar) where you get to mingle amongst beautiful people togged out in designer clothing, sipping lychee martinis, glasses of wine, and the occasional champagne. Here, conversation is key, and everyone’s either already in a conversation around one of the many bar tables, or sitting on one of the bar stools, looking lovely.

Outside, it is an air of calm, the quiet punctuated by the deep rumble of bass and beats that come from the 3 spaces indoors. Renovated in Oct 2006, where everything was gutted down and rebuilt, the superclub re-opened its doors just in time to celebrate its 15th anniversary. And the renovation has made all the difference. Taking centre stage is the custom-made sound system that pumps out the exquisite music that strikes a rhythm through many a clubber. Whichever of the 3 you eventually head into, you’re bound to have loads of fun.

Those interested in house tracks would enter the eternally chic Velvet Underground, where well-dressed individuals lounge around in comfy seats toasting with champagne and wine, whilst DJs churn out house music.

And then there is Phuture, now more frequently known for its R&B and hip-hop music, especially on Wednesdays, where throngs of young adults gyrate to the music on the packed dance floor.

Finally, there’s the Zouk main floor, and herein lies the difference.

In here, big name DJs spin trance and other forms of electronica, while privileged members lounge at the members bar upstairs, and gaze down on it all. Being the local club with the most international accolades, the Zouk main floor has hosted many key DJs in today’s music world.

The likes of Paul van Dyk, Deep Dish, Carl Cox, John Digweed, Timo Maas, Danny Tenaglia and Tiesto are but a few of those that have spinned to over-flowing dance floors. And that’s not all; the Zouk main floor has hosted album launches, from the likes of Groove Armada, and live acts from Bjork, Kylie Minogue, The Chemical Brothers, and more recently, The Rapture. At none of these performances have there been anything less than a packed dance floor, and that says a lot.

And on Apr 21, the grand dame of Singapore clubs celebrated its 16th birthday with a huge bash. It was truly fantastic, and if there’s anyone who knows how to throw a party, it’s Zouk!

Overnight, the entire Zouk complex was magically transformed into one huge pink party hall, with pink and silver balloons that came in the shape of stars, hearts and circles adorning the ceiling. There was a mock garlanded “corridor” where cheerleaders stood to welcome in all invited guests – members and their guests as well as the media – for the invite-only party that begun at 9pm.

For the first time, the well-heeled members of Zouk were made to queue for entrance, and boy, was the queue really long. The entire main room dance floor was filled to the brim with members, who would normally be found in the members bar perched above. They were there to party, and party they did.

Fuelled by the never-ending flow of alcohol – there were snaking queues at all the bar counters – and the delicious treats that were laid bare on the tables (cupcakes, macarons, even a chocolate fondue line), everyone cosied up and danced to the electronic beats.

And just as the members and their guests were starting to get a little tipsy, the birthday party started. Irene Ang, Randall Tan and Timothy Nga were but a few of the celebrities that performed on stage, as cheerleaders and models worked the gathered crowd into a euphoric frenzy. The loud cheers and whoops never stopped, as everyone toasted over and over to yet another birthday celebration to Asia’s best club.