Rotterdam, a (not new) fragrance created by architects Herzog & de Meuron, is now available at pop-up store the Wrong Store at 259 Tenth Ave in Chelsea:
Created to coincide with a 2004 retrospective of their work at the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam, the perfume has notes of Rhine water, patchouli, hashish, tangerine, algae, fur and–believe it or not–dog. One whiff conjures up the seedy underbelly of the Dutch industrial capital, and that’s just the point. “Smells are essential to the world of architecture,” says Herzog, who is tall and lean, with a shaved head and goldrimmed glasses. “They have the ability to evoke the presence of space and memory better than images.” (via W Magazine, 9/1/05)
For another fragrance designed to capture place and memory, see Eau de Polder. (image and store information via nymag, with thanks to Jessica for the link!)
12 Comments
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How have I missed this?? I'm an architecture junkie and love Rotterdam and the NAI. It sounds like a really amusing, potentially decent scent. Will definitely have to try and sniff this.
Sounds very cool, doesn't it? The Eau de Polder is such an interesting back story too, but the scent itself just didn't speak to me. Would love to know how people from the Polder felt about it — it would be very cool to have your childhood home captured in scent.
Dear lord !
I've peed myself ,laughing…!
Did they add the perspiration of underpaid Curacao folk, too ?
Eau de red light district ?
Just checkin', to see if you're awake, mijn meisjes…
I am strangely fascinated…. Perfume decadence, being thrilled with the thought of dog-poo and hash?
Must quote you to yourself —
“Yes, I've found myself in the 'Mentholated Rubber – kewl!' zone more and more often…. Perhaps I've gone one step too far down the Path of Perfume Weirdness?”
That was from your comment to one of the “Too Many Perfumes” posts I did earlier this year, and it really stuck in my mind!
Sounds like it's all in there
LOL! At least I'm not getting worse! I suspect my poor family dreads the moment when I look up from a new sample with happy excitement. They know they're in for days of wondering if a cat's been sick underneath the sofa…
HA — I know that feeling!
This is so funny and interesting! I didn't know about this! I have to search for it!
As for the architecture in R'dam, as a photo enthusiast, I have to say it is the perfect place to take pictures of strange buildings and architectural details. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! I went a little exclamation-happy here, but what can I say, excited 
I tend to think of Fresh's Cannabis Santal as “Amsterdam – the Fragrance”
I found the Fresh CS so fresh and clean myself — not at all what I expected!
Hope you'll like the scent then! Can't say it sounds “wearable”, but might be very interesting all the same.