Smell is the sense most strongly linked to memory. Scents can transport us through time and space, allowing us to revisit a person, a place, or even a feeling. But smells can do more than connect us to our own past; they can also connect us to history.
In this project, we have used the sense of smell to explore one geographical location through time, invoking everything from tangy citrus groves to human toil, from the soot produced by a train engine to fresh fruits and vegetables, from soap to sagebrush.
Working with the artists at The Institute for Art and Olfaction, we have harnessed the craft of perfumery to create smellscapes representing specific eras and industries, allowing for a visceral and vital (if not always sensorially pleasant) journey through the history of a crucial Los Angeles landmark.
In the pages below, we give a brief overview of the history of each era, as well as a description of how we chose to evoke it through scent. These olfactory offerings, along with our research on the site's history, will be available for view (and, of course, smell) at the LA Design Festival June 2019.
Download the poster.
In this project, we have used the sense of smell to explore one geographical location through time, invoking everything from tangy citrus groves to human toil, from the soot produced by a train engine to fresh fruits and vegetables, from soap to sagebrush.
Working with the artists at The Institute for Art and Olfaction, we have harnessed the craft of perfumery to create smellscapes representing specific eras and industries, allowing for a visceral and vital (if not always sensorially pleasant) journey through the history of a crucial Los Angeles landmark.
In the pages below, we give a brief overview of the history of each era, as well as a description of how we chose to evoke it through scent. These olfactory offerings, along with our research on the site's history, will be available for view (and, of course, smell) at the LA Design Festival June 2019.
Download the poster.
2000
Industrial Reuse: American Apparel
This era brought in the first wave of industrial reuse on the site, when clothing manufacturer American Apparel opened its factory and headquarters.
For this workshop, we brought in Iris Alonzo of Everybody.world. Iris worked at the American Apparel site for years in the 2000’s, and shared with us her insights into its history and day-to-day sensory experience.
This scent was crafted at a workshop in May of 2019. It will be available to smell at the LA Design Festival.
Alameda Heart Notes
An investigation of place through history, memory, and scent.
In partnership with:
