Multi-sensory architecture and the design experience in restaurants

This study examines phenomenological architecture within the context of the gastronomic experience in fine-dining restaurants. Adopting a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach with phenomenological interpretation, the research analyses three Michelin-starred restaurant case studies in Catalonia, Spain, through systematic observation and phenomenological dialogues with chef-owners. Grounded in the theoretical framework of architectural phenomenology, the primary aim is to understand how architectural design intentionality shapes the sensory dimensions of the gastronomic experience and constructs a ‘sense of place’. Understanding the dimensions that form the sense of place in the gastronomic experience in a restaurant, the findings reveal eleven key dimensions of this experience and a model of architectural and design dimensions that arouse the user's emotional response to restaurant architecture. It stands out for being a particularly unique study within the hospitality and tourism sector. This study contributes to the literature on hospitality atmospherics, servicescape, and dining experience by demonstrating how a phenomenological lens reveals aspects of spatial experience that prior quantitative and perceptual studies have overlooked.