In summer 2010, PizzaExpress commissioned London design agency Ab Rogers Design (ARD) to transform its Richmond restaurant into a ‘Living Lab’ combining experiential design, advanced developments in restaurant acoustics, and a reenergized approach to display and service.
Essential to ARD’s design for this new generation of restaurants is to make the joy of good food and the theatre of pizza-making the main focus, by placing an open kitchen right at the heart of the restaurant.
The architect was inspired by the traditional open food stalls found in Naples – the home of pizza – a new kiosk punches through the restaurant wall, making the display of beautiful, freshly made food central to the overall theatre of the restaurant. Further references to the culture of Naples permeate every inch of the new restaurant, and can even be heard in the toilets, where atmospheric recordings of Neapolitan life are played.
With the aim of creating a perfectly balanced acoustic space where conversation is not just a possibility but a genuine pleasure, Rogers and his team worked with leading acoustician Sergio Luzzi to create bespoke acoustic domes which hang over booths, creating a series of intimate private spaces within a buzzing public place. The domes are fitted with iPod docks, dimmer switches and call buttons, so diners can customise their environment and set their own tone.
The redesign of the space also includes new activity areas for children. For instance there´s a large communal drawing table at which kids can sit and make their own pizzas, helped by the pizzaiolos.
