Designing Multisensory Dining Environments to Moderate Taste and Mouthfeel Perception: From Sensory Laboratories to Multisensory Restaurants

Dining is more than just a necessity; it is a multisensory experience shaped by the complex interplay between our senses and the environments in which we eat. The way we perceive taste, aroma, and texture is not solely a property of the food itself, but is profoundly influenced by the surrounding context, the atmosphere, space, and sensory cues that frame the eating and drinking activity. This thesis investigates the dynamic relationship between indoor environmental design, multisensory integration, and the perception of healthy foods, with a particular focus on enhancing taste and mouthfeel through carefully designed multisensory interventions. Approaching this topic from the perspective of an interior architect and designer, this research sits at the intersection of indoor environment design, sensory science, and gastronomy. It seeks to explore how the physical environment can be intentionally crafted to elevate the sensory qualities of low-sugar foods and beverages, thereby supporting healthier eating without compromising pleasure or enjoyment. Bridging design practice with empirical sensory research, this thesis offers an applied framework for integrating multisensory design principles into real-world dining spaces. The aim is to develop creative, evidence-based strategies for shaping eating environments that encourage healthier dietary choices. Grounded in a multisensory design approach, this research is built upon six carefully designed experiments conducted across a range of contexts, from controlled sensory laboratories to immersive, quasi restaurant settings. The studies were carried out in the Sens i-Lab at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli (Italy), a laboratory in a non-Western context at the University of Indonesia (Jakarta, Indonesia), and the quasi-laboratory multisensory restaurant at Aistikattila®, Flavoria®, University of Turku (Finland). Each experiment examines a different facet of how multisensory environmental cues can influence taste perception and enhance the appeal of healthier foods and beverages, contributing to a growing body of knowledge at the intersection of design, sensory science, and eating behaviour.