New fragrance museum in Paris to present an immersive history of scent

On December 16, Paris will be getting a new museum when the Grand Musée du Parfum opens its doors in a Parisian mansion on the Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The new space will offer an opportunity to explore the world of fragrances via an interactive journey of the senses that brings to life history, individual stories, experimentation, and the art of fragrance making.

In the heart of Paris, the Grand Musée du Parfum is set to welcome the public from December 16. The new cultural facility will offer visitors an immersive experience of the world of fragrances via a series of entertaining and instructive installations.

The history of fragrances

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The multi-sensory initiatory tour will be spread over four floors and divided into three distinct stages. To begin with, visitors will discover a "History of Fragrances" section that focuses on the different virtues and uses of scent from Antiquity to the present day. All of this will be brought to life by legends and stories of famous historical figures.

For example, visitors will notably be given an opportunity to experience the fragrance of kyphi, the first ever scent in solid form, which was created in Ancient Egypt.

Sensory development

Visitors can also take advantage of a series of interactive installations to "revive their olfactory sense" in a second "Sensory Immersion" section, which promises to provide a renewed understanding of the everyday importance of our sense of smell.

The tour which "brings together art and science" has also been devised to demonstrate the emotive power of fragrances. A fragrance garden, projection mapping, olfactory devices and new technologies will provide visitors with a playful means to develop their sense of smell. In all, some 60 fragrances can be experienced in the course of the tour.

Homage to perfume makers

The final stage of the tour, "The Perfumer's Art" pays homage to the various aspects of the process of fragrance creation: from initial concept, to scientific evaluation and the choice of raw materials, to the manufacturing of the final product.

Visitors will have the opportunity to discover a wide range of raw materials used by perfumers, and to become familiar with those that are most common. 

The museum management also plans to organize additional events, workshops and temporary exhibitions on the theme of fragrances as a complement to its multi-sensory tour.

A project that began in 2014 and was finalized last August, the "Grand Musée du Parfum" will open its doors in a Parisian mansion at 73 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré (in the French capital's 8th arrondissement) on December 16. 

The museum website: http://www.musee-du-parfum.fr/