A fundamental keystone that makes us human is our attitude to eating and drinking. The table is a place of ritual, a place where we develop culture and taste, and become aware of ourselves and our company. It is therefore important the place that we eat is functional and represents us as society.
Of course food is at the centre of your dining experience, but long before the food has arrived the dining experiences begins as soon as you enter the restaurant, bar or café. How food is experienced has everything to do with the décor, the rituals, the company and the experience. Everyone knows a glass of fine wine and fresh seafood is going to taste better sitting on a sun drenched deck in a restaurant garden then sitting at home with central heating and looking out onto a view of a rainy cold street. That’s why it’s important to provide a positive experience from the beginning.
Sound can be a crucial factor in a patron’s ability to enjoy their dining experience; Social interactions are a common source of excessive noise which can be explained by the noise-breeds-noise effect, also known as the café-effect. This phenomenon occurs when conversations of individual groups create noise, which results in surrounding groups subconsciously competing to be heard and understood (Whitlock & Dodd, 2006).
It could be said that this then would halter the functionality of a restaurant, bar, and café as the positive experience is drained away from the patrons bit by bit. English Philosopher Sir Roger Scruton has written that architecture is distinguished from other art forms because of a sense of function and goes on to call for a return to the first principles, contending that the aesthetics of architecture is, in it’s very essence, an aesthetic of everyday life.
Because communication and sound is one of the very first experiences that take place in a restaurant, this should also be one of the first considerations of function when designing the interior of a hospitality space. In simple terms, positive sound equals a positive and functional dining experience.
With modern design in hospitality focusing on harder surfaces, like concrete, glass and polished timber, these spaces can become a reverberating nightmare. The simple solution is to apply an acoustic treatment to absorb excess reverberation; this can come in a number of applications. However, failure to take the acoustics into consideration from the beginning of the design process can expose you to design limitations once the space is finished and in use.
Enjoying and benefitting from functional acoustics means designing from the beginning.
The premium range of 100% polyester acoustic products from Autex Acoustics are a modern alternative to traditional fibreglass acoustic panels from the days of old. Autex manufacture a range of solutions that can be seamlessly specified into a space without compromising the design aesthetics.
With the capacity to build bespoke designs, Autex can work with designers and architects to create stand out feature pieces or subtle solutions that absorb unwanted noise and create a uniquely human dining experience that satisfies the senses.
To create harmony between form and function in your next restaurant design contact us today.
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