A manifesto for acoustic comfort in shared spaces
FANA grew from a simple observation: more and more people are giving up their coffee break, their lunch out, their conversation in a bar — because noise has made these spaces unbearable. It does not have to be this way. It is a choice. And it can change.
The problem that gave rise to FANA
Bars, restaurants, cafés: spaces born for socialising, rest and conversation. Over recent decades they have become acoustically aggressive environments — loud music, reflective surfaces, conversational noise that builds to levels of 80–100 decibels, equivalent to a passing train or heavy urban traffic.
According to a Doxa study commissioned by Groupon, 58% of Italians are bothered by noise in public venues. Not a marginal discomfort: a silent majority that gives up, avoids, looks for alternatives — and often cannot find them.
The World Health Organization in its Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (2018) classifies noise pollution as the second leading environmental health risk in Europe, after air quality. The documented effects include chronic stress, sleep disorders, cardiovascular alterations and reduced cognitive performance.
The problem in numbers
- 📊 58% of Italians bothered by noise in public venues
- 🔊 80–100 dB average level in busy bars and restaurants
- ⏱️ 2–3 sec typical reverberation — ideal is 0.8–1.2 sec
- 🌍 WHO: noise = 2nd environmental health risk in Europe
Free Acoustic Neutral Area: what it really means
FANA — Free Acoustic Neutral Area — is an acoustic comfort certification system for public venues: bars, restaurants, cafés, hotels, coworking spaces and any place where people spend time.
The founding principle is that acoustic comfort — or its conscious management — is a measurable, certifiable and communicable value. Good intentions from the venue owner are not enough. What is needed is an objective technical verification, based on acoustic parameters recognised by international standards (ISO 3382, UNI 11532), carried out by qualified technicians.
The result is a two-level classification (A+, A) that communicates clearly and transparently to the consumer the level of acoustic comfort they will find in the venue. A plaque at the entrance. A digital badge. A public commitment.
The pillars of the project
- Measurability — acoustic comfort is measured with objective scientific parameters (RT60, SPL level), not by feeling
- Certification — the FANA class is awarded by qualified technicians, it is not a self-declaration
- Transparency — the entrance plaque makes the commitment visible before you even step inside
- Progression — a venue can improve its class by investing in acoustic treatment
- Growth — the project is designed to expand across Italy, city by city
Why this project matters today
The issue of acoustic wellbeing in public spaces is moving beyond specialist circles to become a public health concern. In 2023 an Italian parliamentary group on “Acoustic Wellbeing” was established in the Chamber of Deputies, with the aim of raising awareness among institutions and businesses about the impact of noise on urban quality of life.
In the hospitality and food service market, acoustic comfort remains largely unexplored: while everyone communicates on price, location and menu, very few venue owners have turned silence into an explicit and verifiable competitive advantage. FANA fills that gap.
The modern consumer — increasingly aware, increasingly attentive to holistic wellbeing — is looking for spaces in which to feel good, not just eat or drink. Acoustic comfort is part of that equation. FANA gives it a language and a tool to find it.