The architecture of the senses: A new tenderness in Spatial Design

In a world that has taught us for years to view reality through the glass of a screen, the touch of real space has become a kind of luxury. The tangible and the sensory — the smell of freshly baked bread, a ray of light filtering through the leaves, a melody flowing softly from the speakers — are no longer mere background elements, but the very foundation of everyday well-being. The pandemic taught us this. Isolation, digital overload, loneliness. Our senses, just like us, need care.

Today, architecture is no longer just sculpture in space. Interior, retail, hotel, and even bus stop design increasingly consider what long remained unnamed: emotions. And behind them — the senses. Because if we’re talking about design with a future, we must talk about scent, sound, and light. About what can not only be seen, but also felt.

Design that breathes

“The architecture of the senses” is a concept maturing at the intersection of aesthetics and neurobiology, emotion and functionality. It’s not just about the beauty of an object, but about what it feels like to live within it. It asks a simple question: What do you feel when you are here?

From this very idea grows the philosophy of Make Sense Media — a company redefining the meaning of sensory marketing. Far from catalogue aesthetics and one-off campaigns, it treats sensory experience as a strategic tool. As founder Lorenz van der Stam says, “Our goal is not to make the background pleasant — it’s to design relationships.”

Scent marketing, audio marketing, and digital signage — the three pillars of Make Sense Media’s work — form a coherent narrative that reaches deeper than slogans. Working with brands across sectors — from fashion boutiques and shopping malls to hotels and public spaces — the team creates environments where scent becomes a signature, not a decoration. Where sound isn’t a random playlist, but the rhythm of identity. And where image is a dynamic story in motion.

Sensory spaces as a public good

This is no longer a question of sales. It’s a question of presence.

Because what is a human-centered space, if not one that soothes, activates, calms, and evokes memories? Properly understood sensory marketing is today a manifestation of a new kind of brand responsibility.

It’s a way to invite people into a world with a heartbeat — one in which we feel a little less alien.

Research confirms it: scent influences not only purchasing decisions, but also mood, concentration, even the feeling of safety. A well-chosen composition can extend the time spent in a store, improve service quality, and enhance the comfort of a team’s work. But above all, it can make a place unforgettable — like a home we know by heart.

That’s why scent in a space is not just “it smells nice.” It’s something much deeper: a sign that someone thought of us. That, in designing a space, someone considered how we feel in it — and how we want to feel.

The future is sensitivity

The architecture of the senses is a manifesto of a new aesthetic: soft, attentive, and emotionally intelligent. It’s design that engages not only the eyes, but also the skin, hearing, and scent memory. Design that recognises we want more than functionality — we want emotion. And that even commercial spaces can offer it.

We believe it’s possible to create places that don’t exhaust us. Stores that don’t shout, but invite. Brands that smell, play, and tell stories — authentically.

This is our working philosophy and our strategy — one that restores design to its original meaning: not only to sell, but to build relationships. Not only to speak, but to stay in memory. And not only to capture attention — but to awaken the senses.

Zosia Jüngst
Aromamarketing Specialist