Whether in public spaces (city squares with integrated scent diffusers) or private environments (homes with personalized atmospheres), introducing scent into architectural spaces offers new possibilities for sensory experience. However, the effectiveness of using scent to enhance a space requires a multidisciplinary approach that considers olfactory behavior and perception, environmental design, and the interactions between people and their environment.
Scent experience in public spaces is a relatively new area of research. Geurbeleving in publieke ruimtes date, most published studies use ambient scents to manipulate consumer behavior, and the majority of the research has been conducted in indoor western urban developed spaces. Studies have shown that olfactory interventions can increase store sales, but the effects on mood and well-being are less clear, particularly when the olfactory element is combined with other sensory stimulation.
Connecting Scent Experience with Brand Identity and Perception
The olfactory system is far more sensitive to odors than visual or auditory stimuli, making it an important tool in the human-environment interaction process. Odors can convey a wealth of information to us, as they are closely associated with our memories and emotional experiences, and can contribute to the creation of our mental maps of spatial environments.
Furthermore, since odors are often culturally significant, introducing specific smells into the built environment is an effective way to express local identity and heritage in tourist destinations, as has been demonstrated by the case study of the Odeuropa project by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (2012). In addition, olfactory wayfinding can be used to promote equity in accessibility of architecture for visually impaired individuals, as suggested by Koutsoklenis and Papadopoulos (2016).