The Musée National de la Marine (National Marine Museum) in Paris has marked its re-opening after six years of renovations with the launch of a signature scent created by Nathalie Lorson, Master Perfumer at dsm-firmenich, in collaboration with olfactory creative studio, Studio Magique.
The museum says the scent aims to recreate the experience of the ocean in Paris and to provide an olfactory link with the sea to add a sensory dimension to a visit to the museum. The fragrance, called Sillage de Mer, is diffused at the museum’s entrance and reception areas via six diffusers.
Mazen Nasri, Founder and Artistic Director at Studio Magique, said the challenge was to evoke the raw odor of the ocean, while simultaneously creating an agreeable scent that is recognizable and singular to the museum.
The fragrance is made from French seaweed combined with synthetic materials, some of which are derived from green chemistry, with 20% upcycled ingredients. Seaweed absolute, a natural raw material, was chosen to evoke marine flora, as well as the idea of salty, iodine-laden sea spray. Seaweed absolute is combined with calone, which was used to create the aquatic accords.
The fragrance also gives a nod to ambergris, a raw material that comes from a concretion that forms in the intestine of the sperm whale and is then washed up on beaches. Lorson replaced it with Ambrox Super, a synthetic molecule that is 100% renewable and biodegradable, which gives the fragrance mineral and musky tones.
The museum involved its audience in the development of the signature scent. At the start of the creative process, an initial palette of scents associated with the sea was developed based on the responses of a panel of targeted testers during workshops.
At the end of their visit to the museum, visitors can buy a ceramic diffuser shaped like the moving ocean surface with the signature scent in a dropper bottle from the museum’s shop. The product has EPV and IGP certification and is 100% made in France. Scented postcards are also available.
Lorson said: “Designing an olfactory signature for a national museum is truly an exceptional request and of course an honor. And it’s a first for me! The creative process is very different because [the] perfume [for the museum] is not worn on the skin. It has to surround and immerse the public, bringing a sense of well-being and added value to the visit.”
