Extreme Taste: An extraordinary journey through the world of taste

From the material of the fork to the music playing in the background, all our senses are engaged while we eat. And our instincts, experiences and cultural backgrounds influence our perceptions. But would it be possible to actively steer our taste buds in a certain direction, push them to their limits or even deceive them? If so, how? And what role could a space play in doing so? These are the questions our Design team asked in the context of the international «Extreme Taste» competition organised by the Archiol platform.

The five senses and their enhancement

Our five senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch – play a crucial role in our everyday life. Our sense of taste combines chemical stimuli with sensory experiences. But what happens if we extend the tasting experience to other senses? How does a salty room look? How does a greasy room sound? We found answers in our gustatory dream castles as we took a deep dive into the core of our taste sensations, examining each taste bud, investigating each synapse and exploring each sensation beyond the palate.

The Six Doors of Taste

After going through this process, we created a tour of six rooms: «The Six Doors of Taste». Behind each door is a different taste experience: sweet, bitter, salty, sour, umami and fatty. Each room was designed to reflect the essence of one of these specific tastes and steer all senses in that direction. From sweet colours and textures to bitter sound backdrops, the result is an extreme, holistic, condensed taste experience.

The tour begins and ends in the «White Room». This room serves as a neutraliser where gentle water noises wash away all the sensations and fresh air has a palate-cleansing effect. Before the tour, visitors start here to prepare for the imminent experience; after the tour, they end here to let the experience sink in.

A look into the taste rooms

Our sweet room has a light and easy-going feel thanks to the soft pastel tones, soft, smooth surfaces and a delicate vanilla scent. In the bitter room, however, visitors experience dark, rough materials and an oppressive silence. You can see additional ideas from this room and others in the slider. «The Six Doors of Taste» challenges all of our senses and offers an in-depth exploration of what taste means beyond the palate.

A gustatory tour of Lucerne

We did not limit ourselves to the dream castles for the competition: we also imagined what a gustatory tour of the city of Lucerne might be like. Were there certain neighbourhoods that could represent one of the senses? Where would tour participants end up? In a tunnel under the Lion Monument (umami)? On the rooftop terrace of Hotel Montana (sweet)? Or would we create temporary spaces for extreme taste experiences? We would like to continue exploring these ideas and investigate possible implementations in the urban context, especially with regard to unoccupied spaces in the city centre.

Collaborating with artificial intelligence

Our enthusiasm for the subject of artificial intelligence (more in this blog post) inspired us to initiate the discussion with Midjourney. The interplay opened up new, exciting perspectives and helped us refine our concept.

A big thanks to Archiol

We are very pleased to have received a «Special Mention» from the competition jury and would like to thank Archiol for their recognition:

«‹The Six Doors of Taste› concept is highly imaginative and thought-provoking, offering a unique approach to dining that transcends traditional boundaries. While there are practical considerations to address, the concept holds great potential for creating memorable and immersive dining experiences. It challenges conventional notions of taste and invites guests on a journey of sensory discovery, making it a standout entry in the Extreme Taste Restaurant design competition.»