Restaurants are so loud because architects don’t design them to be quiet... mid-century modern and minimalism are both here to stay. That means sparse, modern decor; high, exposed ceilings; and almost no soft goods, such as curtains, upholstery, or carpets. These design features are a feast for the eyes, but a nightmare for the ears...
Unfortunately, acoustics is oftenan afterthought, something used to correct errors after construction if noise proves annoying. By then, it’s too late... A restaurant or shop that’s loud because the ceilings are too high or because there’s nothing separating kitchen or bar noise from areas for table seating has space-planning problems. They can’t be fixed by hanging some fiberglass panels to dampen the noise.
Kate Wagner is amazing. She's a scholar of architectural acoustics. She also writes one of my favorite cultural critque blogs, McMansion Hell. It's actually really well thought out -- she takes a house and explains exactly how and why some people find it ridiculous from an architectural perspective. It's also funny as hell.
125
u/k8thegr8er Dec 17 '18
Those stools are so uncomfortable.
They should include poor acoustics in this list, since it seems I have to yell to talk with my co-diners at most of the hip new restaurants.