Professional • Insight In Good Company: Olga Polizzi


Currently director of design and deputy chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels, Olga Polizzi’s creative journey around the very best in hospitality design has led her to work on some of the world’s most prestigious hotels


When was the company founded?


The current company – Rocco Forte Hotels – was founded 21 years ago. I am deputy chairman and director of design and I work with the chairman, my brother Sir Rocco Forte.


How many staff?


Six in my immediate team – an architect, an interior designer, two project managers, two assistants – plus me.


Tech:


Acoustically Sound, Beautifully Designed


There’s no point spending thousands on the best audio technology if the room’s acoustics are going to undermine performance. Rob Lane fi nds out how acoustics can improve both sound and aesthetics


THE DEPLOYMENT of the latest technology in living rooms frequently involves compromise, especially when it comes to audio. Not everyone is prepared to spoil the look and feel of a beautifully designed space with huge fl oor-standing loudspeakers – unless they are pieces of art in themselves, like Meridian’s M6s for instance. When it comes to hi-fi and home cinema, the compromise usually means a drop-off in audio or visual quality, as room design trumps sound and vision requirements. It is a balancing act, and the design versus tech scales can be tipped even further when it comes to acoustics. There is very little point deciding to compromise on design in order to accommodate the best in loudspeaker technology if the space has terrible acoustics. One might as well choose the more aesthetic option in the fi rst place and live with the room’s reverberation. Room acoustics have a considerable bearing on performance, so for


the best sounding hi-fi and home cinema it is important to take into account the acoustic footprint of the space in the fi rst instance, before looking at potential improvements. As it is rarely considered during a build, such improvements are usually retrospective. Ideally, you want a room that is lovely to talk in as a starting point – so no echo or deadening of vocal sounds. But for music in particular it is important the space ‘sings’ a bit, which involves reinforcing the sound gently with acoustic panelling.


“A little reverb is always nice – but it has to be just a little, and it should be diffuse and the bass needs to be controlled in proportion,” Chris Adair of Adair Acoustics says. “This way you clearly hear the direct sound from the speakers and have the ‘rose tinting’ of the room’s acoustics.” A so-called zero sum room is the ideal. Such a space results in a very


low reverberation time, with no or minimal early refl ections. One should just be able to hear the speaker – very clean – and the room should ideally vanish acoustically, so the sound is pure. This is particularly true of multi-speaker set-ups such as in a home cinema, where suspension of disbelief is essential: nobody wants to be overly aware they’re watching a movie – they want to live it. Unfortunately, there is no quick fi x for acoustics and it is not possible to transform a room with a tiny bit of treatment. It takes up space – typically 10-20% of surfaces. Thankfully, today’s available acoustic treatments are rarely ugly, and neither are they necessarily ‘visually acoustic’ (unlike those pictured!), so room aesthetics need not be compromised too much.


In fact, acoustic panelling can add a wow factor to room design, particularly when ceilings are particularly high as is often the case with barn conversions or church renovations. Different colours, textures (including suede), and shapes are available and can be hung to create beautifully symmetrical false ceilings.


A compromise in design aesthetics is often required when achieving the best in audio. Acoustic treatments can turn the quality dial up to 11, whilst challenging design. But they can also offer aesthetic opportunities.


Where is it based? Our offi ces are based on Jermyn Street in central London.


What is your latest notable project?


The restaurant and bar in Browns Hotel, which have turned out quite nicely. We have also been working on some suites at Villa Kennedy, our hotel in Frankfurt, Germany. I’m also currently very involved in our project in Puglia in southern Italy, where we are designing 10 new rooms. I’ve just spent the last eight days in Puglia.


I’ve just discovered...


I’ve been discovering the many beautiful products we can use for our Puglia project. When I design hotels, I want there to be a sense of place – if you’re in Rome, I want it to look like Rome. I’d like to think I am known for mixing things together, rather than buying products from catalogues or companies. I love acquiring things for our projects - I’m a buyaholic, but I know we have to be very careful about our budgets! In Puglia we’ve been looking at china and pottery (lamps, plates) and we have commissioned a local man, Signor del Monaco, to create all the shower panels. We also take fabrics from a local foundation where disabled people weave cloth on looms. Buying locally helps the community and makes a connection as well as giving a sense of place and provenance.


Who inspires me…


Kit Kemp (owner of Firmdale Hotels) – her work is totally different from mine. It’s always nice to see other people’s work. We recently stayed at her Hotel Whitby in New York and it made me think that I’ve got to do a bit more, use more mixtures in my work.


I’ve always been a fan of...


Mixtures are good – and too much of anything is too much! My highlight of the last 12 months...


I am always very work-focused, as my family will attest, but we always try and take the whole family to our Verdura Resort in Sicily for two weeks in the summer. That’s where we can have fun and really relax.


My next design trip is to... I’m currently spending two days a week in Milan working on the Puglia project, but I will also be taking the train to Rome for the day. And I will be visiting Edinburgh with my brother looking at The Balmoral, our hotel there, and trying to decide what really needs to be done in the quiet months at the beginning of next year.


roccofortehotels.com


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