project overview
Pantone's pioneering new "BLEU" perfume store concept on Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay transports customers into an immersive "Underworld" inspired by the color blue's symbolic ties to depth, mystery and the unexplored ocean realm. The transcendent design for this innovative fragrance retail experience marries Pantone's global mastery of color communication with the enigmatic essence of perfume, manifesting as a cavernous azure-tinged underground grotto. Curved blue aluminum walls envelop visitors in a womb-like atmosphere that stimulates subconscious connections between color, scent and emotion. Shimmering lights and shadowy grottos showcase the perfume collections within the moody interior space crafted to encapsulate the intangible qualities of both color and fragrance into a single transcendent physical environment.
the bleu adventure
BLEU represents the culmination of Pantone's vision to create an immersive retail environment where color and fragrance converge. The store's transcendent "Underworld" concept takes customers on a multi-sensory journey beginning with the winding wave-like floor pattern that guides them along a deliberately curated path.
Upon entry, they are submerged into an atmospheric azure-tinged grotto crafted from curved blue metal walls that conjure the feeling of being underwater. The journey progresses through a sequence of sculptural spaces including an intimate lounge, a glassed-in "Alchemy Corner" for personalized fragrance blending, and an amphitheater-like cove with multimedia shows exploring perfumery and Pantone's color psychology. The pièce de résistance is the moody fragrance gallery with artistic grottos showcasing the scents amid atmospheric lighting. Finally, Instagram-ready blue walls encourage creative social sharing before guests can linger over artisan cafe beverages while reflecting on their layered experience. Every spatial sequence elevates customer engagement and connection to BLEU's ethos of unearthing synergies between color, scent and human emotion.