Scentorium: A Museum of Fragrance, Memory, and Meaning

Naomi Anna Cardozo - BSc Interior Design 2022

“Scentorium: Perfume Museum” is a unique project by BSc Interior Design student Naomi Anna Cardozo, created for the Fragrances and Flavours Association of India. Naiaomí has been drawn to perfume her entire life—a passion inherited from her father. Her design subverts the classic museum format as an immersive, multisensory odyssey into the history, science, and essence of perfume.

Designer Brief

At its core, Scentorium is about connection: to memory, to handcraft, and to the timeless power of scent. The building recounts the story of perfumery in interactive galleries, perfume laboratory, retail boutique, seminar room, and touch scent areas—all designed with thoughtful intention to teach, to inspire, and to touch the heart. Each salient space is evoked from iconic fragrances, taking cue from their packaging, colors, and emotional presence to guide visual and spatial experience.

“Pause; one moment of ease” is the spirit of the design thinking. Amidst today’s accelerated life, one of the very few things that can slow us down is scent. The museum is envisioned as an oasis—soft lighting, soothing textures, and carefully selected scents establish a peaceful environment where people are encouraged to pause, breathe in, and connect. This concept is realized in “The Proust Effect”—where scent evokes strong memories—transforming each gallery into a portal through time and feeling.

Sustainability also becomes important. Naomi collaborated with an Indian brand to feature terrazzo flooring that was constructed from recycled glass bottles, introducing texture and narrative while being sustainable.

In the end, Scentorium is not only a museum but a tribute to the emotional depth of perfume. It’s a space where perfume is history, art, and memory—and where each fragrance is an invitation to pause, breathe, and simply be.