Shakespeare Trust Project

At Shakespeare’s New Place, the past comes alive not just through words and architecture, but now — uniquely — through scent.

This special installation invites you to experience the smells of roses that once bloomed in Shakespeare’s garden, using a modern technology known as an olfactory display. While the concept may be unfamiliar, its purpose is deeply intuitive: to bring scent into storytelling, art, and memory. Much like a visual display shows you images or a speaker plays sound, an olfactory display releases smells on cue, immersing you in a sensory experience that is both vivid and emotionally resonant.

Our display has been carefully crafted to blend science and aesthetics. Housed in a wooden cabinet designed in the style of the early 17th century, the unit contains four rose perfumes, each one evoked at the press of a button. These exquisite fragrances have been created by Floris, one of London’s oldest perfumeries. Founded in 1730, Floris has served royalty, writers, and explorers — and continues to craft scents using traditional techniques and rare ingredients. For this installation, they have blended four unique rose-based perfumes that echo the kinds of roses once found in Shakespeare’s garden.

The olfactory display itself was developed by researchers at the School of Engineering, University of Warwick, led by Professor James Covington. The project was supported by a talented team of PhD students and technicians, bringing together expertise in electronics, chemical sensing, and design. The result is a cutting-edge device with a heritage-inspired form — blending innovative engineering with artistic and historical storytelling.

But why smell? Of all our senses, smell is the most closely linked to memory and emotion. A single whiff can summon an entire season, a forgotten place, or a long-lost feeling. For Shakespeare, the sensory world — and especially the world of flowers — was an essential part of poetic expression. Roses appear throughout his works, not only as symbols of love and beauty, but also as markers of time, lineage, and transience.

In Sonnet 54, he writes:

“The rose looks fair, but fairer it we deem / For that sweet odour which doth in it live.”

This event invites you to reflect on that very idea — that beauty is more than what the eye can see. The olfactory display offers a rare chance to smell the kinds of roses Shakespeare knew, not just as historical artefacts, but as living, breathing fragrances.

This is more than an exhibition. It’s a sensory time machine, drawing you closer to Shakespeare’s world — through roses, through scent, and through the invisible poetry that lingers in the air.

Design of the Rose Olfactory Display

The Rose Olfactory display is an interactive scent display engineered to deliver rose fragrances in a precise and controlled way. Designed to enhance sensory engagement in exhibition spaces, the unit allows visitors to explore four distinct rose perfumes, each diffused on demand. Housed within the handcrafted wooden cabinet, the system is operated via four red buttons located on the top panel — each corresponding to a different rose variety. When a button is pressed, the chosen fragrance is gently released for ten seconds through a stainless steel scent outlet, designed for the user to lean in and smell directly. This simple, intuitive interface allows each visitor to encounter and compare the rose scents at their own pace, creating a deeply personal and immersive olfactory experience. The unit combines advanced scent diffusion technology with thoughtful user-centred design, making it ideal for both public engagement and research settings. Below is a picture of the olfactory display.