The fragrance maker has opened what it calls its “flagship for Fine Fragrance” at 641 Avenue of the Americas in Chelsea, New York City.
The new 44,000-square-foot space brings together perfumers, fragrance development teams, application, digital, and compounding capabilities under one roof. Home to around 100 employees, including nine Fine Fragrance perfumers, the new Chelsea location is designed to foster deeper collaboration, inspire creativity, and accelerate innovation alongside clients and creative partners.
Purpose-built laboratory
The new site features a laboratory designed to dsm-firmenich’s global standards, equipped with automation and robotics to improve efficiency, precision, and safety. These include Cerberus, a custom-built compounding robot capable of handling up to 456 raw materials, expanding the laboratory’s compounding capabilities.
The facility also incorporates energy-efficient systems, Green Lab practices, waste reduction measures, and workstations designed to support employee well-being.
Designed as a multidimensional environment where artistry, science, and culture intersect, the site also features collaborative creative spaces, outdoor terraces, and a rooftop garden overlooking Manhattan.
Artistic collaborations
Bringing together dsm-firmenich perfumers with voices from across New York’s cultural landscape, Open Air connects fragrance with disciplines ranging from food, music, fashion, design, and nightlife to spirituality and social service. Participants include a DJ, chef, tattoo artist and designers, as well as members of the voguing community and organizations including Housing Works, Brooklyn Grange, and others. Each collaboration is interpreted through scent, with the resulting works presented throughout the Chelsea space through fragrance, film, photography, recordings and physical artifacts.
dsm-firmenich said Open Air will continue through future exhibitions, workshops, and collaborations across its other creative centers around the world.
"Few cities inspire creativity quite like New York. With our new home in Chelsea, we are investing in an environment designed to bring together talent, inspiration and diverse perspectives. Rooted in one of the city’s most dynamic creative neighbourhoods, this space creates new opportunities for collaboration, dialogue and discovery, enabling our perfumers, clients and partners to shape the future of fine fragrance together," said Jonathan Simon, President of Global Fine Fragrance at dsm-firmenich.
"The opening of 641 Avenue of the Americas builds on dsm-firmenich’s longstanding Fine Fragrance presence in New York," added Melanie Duhamel, Vice President for Fine Fragrance, North America. "It is a new home not only for our teams, but also for our customers, bringing together perfumery expertise, scientific innovation, and collaboration in an environment that cultivates creation and a forward-thinking vision."
