Serre Perfume, Paris, 2023

Perfume is a curious phenomenon. Fragrance evokes emotions and memories, yet its essence remains invisible. While it physically exists as vapor or suspended particles, it cannot truly be seen. Perhaps this ambiguity is what continues to fascinate us. Since its origins in ancient Egypt, perfume has accompanied human civilization for millennia, evolving in scent and meaning while remaining fundamentally unchanged. The phrase “Make Invisible Visible” emerged as the starting point of the project. The search for an architectural response unfolded through a chain of references: eternal beauty (The Birth of Venus), to beauty found in fleeting moments (the flickering of light), to the precious melancholy of those moments (the culture of concealment in Heian Japan), and finally to a space for melancholy (the atmosphere of a glass greenhouse). These associations led to the concept of glass house. Wrapped in fluted glass, the interior is illuminated by concealed light sources that softly shimmer through the textured surface. The rhythm of the glass composition, subtly inspired by perfume bottles, creates movement throughout the space. Leaf-shaped terrazzo flooring and perfume-testing papers evoke the sensation of walking through autumn leaves, creating a poetic atmosphere where fragrance, light, memory, and melancholy quietly converge.

Images : Archiee studio