Pizza Express calls in a Professor of Acoustics
I’ve been reading up on Pizza Express’s plans to redesign its restaurants and my eye was caught by the news that Sergio Luzzi, Contract Professor and Lecturer in Noise Modelling and Acoustic Design at the University of Florence, is one of the team behind the project.
Getting the noise levels right is tricky, especially as Pizza Express has to cater to two different audiences: daytime, when it particularly appeals to parents and children (even if their site only says “mothers” and children, tsk tsk), and evening, when it has a different audience. Moreover some people’s far too noisy is other people’s fun and lively.
If it is possible, I suspect they will try to do more at damping sharp noises (such as cutlery clashing), whilst welcoming a general background throb of sound. It will be such a sacrifice going round revamped outlets to find out, but I’ll bravely put myself forward…
The Chafing Cross branch used to be awful. Underground with hard walls and a low ceiling. Then they added ‘decorative’ rugs on the walls. Transformed the restaurant.