DR. KARIM MEKHTIGAIN

Home, a place where life happens, feels, thinks, imagines, dreams and
changes.
WE SMELL DANGER AND BEAUTY
…. Is smell an abstract architectural element?
Scent has unique qualities such as persistence, ubiquity and an unparalleled
link to memory, yet it has been long overlooked in discussions about
something I describes “sensory design”. A disregard for the sense of smell
reduces architecture’s experimental potency. I will explain why.
In Middle Eastern and Oriental cultures smells are an integral part of daily
rituals which are reflected for example in mosques, temples and churches.
The scent of incense draws a religious code which transcends worshippers
to another state of mind and memory.
In Far Eastern culture, scents are used daily to influence moods and temper
of people and personal as well as public spaces are designed   to  capture   this
aspect.
The olfactory architecture evokes important memories that   form and
transmit a variety of memory codes.
Throughout life, people switch on and off from many smells our noses
detect.
 As a result. The contribution of smells in everyday experiences goes
unappreciated.
That holds particularly true in Western societies where a rather low value is
placed on smell
Most architect have engaged with smell at some point in their work whether
it be design   ling a house, building an industrial kitchen for commercial
projects, the ventilation of spaces, or the removal of old materials after a
house has been torn down.
On a more regular basis, architects also encounter odor from materials such
as wood, stone, plaster, paint and furnishings, every building has its smell.
Unlike visual appearance which can be recorded through a photograph or
sketch,   smell is very difficult to measure.
In my opinion, smell carries a very important function as an abstract
architectural element.
Smell is a pathfinder to our memories and inner maps and therefore highly
emotive.
Architecture creates spaces for
Architectural design
Should include the meaning of rituals around smells and ‘accommodate the
important function they hold.