Air currents set clouds in motion, carve shapes in mist and smoke, and carry the chill that turns water into ice. They also disperse the most exquisite fragrances from the niche perfumery Impressium. The new interior design of its boutique in Warsaw’s Mysia 3 department store is the result of a remarkable collaboration. Favorable winds brought together two studios – Kulczyński Architekt and NOKE Architects.
The best projects are born from a sense of freedom. This small store has gained depth, lightness, and a dreamlike charm after the Kulczyński x NOKE design team guided it through a creative transformation. From friendship to collaboration, the story unfolded with energy and mutual enjoyment, while the craftsmanship of the contractor made everything possible – even levitating furniture and a floating floor.
The pleasure of creation
Impressium was founded by Marcin Budzyk-Wermiński, an exceptionally intriguing figure whose life has been intertwined with the world of fragrance for over two decades. At just 19, he co-created Entropia, the first Polish niche perfume. Four years later, he became the youngest perfume expert in the history of Harper’s Bazaar.
At the age of 26, he established Impressium, becoming the youngest independent creator of a niche perfumery in Poland and one of the youngest in the world. While studying at the Faculty of Chemistry at the Warsaw University of Technology, he also delved into the very essence of scent chemistry – all, as he emphasizes, to understand the world of perfume and its profound effect on human emotion and perception.
Impressium’s Warsaw boutique, located in the intimate Mysia 3 department store, has been operating for several years. During that time, it has gained a loyal following of fragrance enthusiasts drawn to its unique, niche selection – many of which are available in Poland exclusively at Impressium. Among them are Stephane Humbert Lucas’s mesmerizing God of Fire and Nicolai’s coffee-inspired masterpiece Caravanserail.
Now, Marcin Budzyk-Wermiński decided it was time for a new interior design – one as distinctive as the perfumes themselves. To realize this vision, he turned to interior architect Joanna Kulczyńska of Kulczyński Architekt, who oversees the cohesive look and character of Mysia 3. She, in turn, saw the project as an opportunity to transform work into the pleasure of creating together.
Team play
They really did meet among the clouds. “I was on the jury of the Art in Architecture Festival, where I awarded a distinction to the NOKE team because I greatly admire their work. We hadn’t met in person yet. But just a few days later, at another event for architects, fate seated us next to each other on a plane. The system assigned me a seat beside Karol, with Piotr sitting one row ahead. When we realized who we were, we started talking – and quickly agreed that we simply had to collaborate on a project,” recalls Joanna Kulczyńska of Kulczyński Architekt. Not long after, they were already working together on the charity event NOKE and Friends for the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP). So when the idea for a new design of the Impressium perfumery came up, Joanna invited NOKE Architects to join forces. The design team – Joanna Kulczyńska, Karol Pasternak, Piotr Maciaszek, and Maciej Jasina – carried out the entire process with complete confidence, treating it as both a dialogue and a creative game.
What inspired two studios to join forces in the first place? “None of us want to be bored – we want to enjoy the act of designing,” says Karol Pasternak of NOKE. “It’s like when people laugh at the same jokes and are moved by the same things – you don’t need to explain anything to each other. We share the same sensitivity.” “And NOKE are brilliant at abstract thinking, which brought incredible value to this project,” adds Joanna Kulczyńska. “The design process was so enjoyable and so natural. We met, talked, and the first concept was practically ready right after we refined a few variations of the main idea,” she smiles.
An idea from the air
The concept for the boutique was born during a walk. “The best ideas often come out of casual conversation, so we went for a stroll. We watched how clouds formed in the sky, how the wind played with our hair. Outdoors, we talked about how to translate the phenomenon of scent into interior design – something that can be felt but not seen,” recalls Karol Pasternak.
“We practically made all the adjustments ourselves – Marcin, the client, placed tremendous trust in us. During the project presentation, he listened, gave his approval, and went on with his day. It was truly remarkable,” adds Piotr Maciaszek.
Blue of sky, home, and ice
The Kulczyński x NOKE team’s design for Impressium resulted in an interior like a cloud of smoke, mist, or vapor. This ethereal effect was achieved through acrylic panels in a cool, icy blue tone, positioned perpendicularly to the walls and ceiling. “Each panel has a unique contour, and their fluid, sculptural lines embrace the interior from the sides and above. What’s fascinating is that as you move through space, the relationships between their shapes continuously shift,” explains Maciej Jasina. The flowing lines seem to dance in the wind – as if alive.
At the same time, the intensity of color changes, creating an impression of atmospheric perspective. “During the day, the panels closest to the window appear the brightest. Beyond them, you can see the extraordinary blue façade of the Natan Efros tenement house and a stretch of Warsaw’s blue sky,” says Piotr Maciaszek. And in the evening? After dusk, the panels come alive under the gentle light cascading from above.
Warm and cool
The play of light – so crucial to this design – centers around the display units placed between the blue acrylic panels. Floating lightly above the floor, these pieces are clad in a silvery texture reminiscent of wet fabric, like sea silk infused with precious, shimmering metal. The three-dimensional surface finish demanded extraordinary precision, handcraft, and patience from the fabricator. To achieve the gentle curvature of the counter, the reverse side of the decorative surface had to be specially prepared and glued at a painstaking pace of just a few centimeters per day.
Beneath each of the sixteen display units, concealed lamps cast a flickering glow across the floor, evoking sunlight refracted on rippling water. The reflections seem to move through the space, as if the interior were breathing – alive. The color temperature shifts with the time of day: cool tones dominate in the morning and summer, while in the evening and winter, a golden light warms the room. It is yet another dimension in which the design comes to life. “We love interiors that resonate with the rhythm of the day and the seasons. In such a small space, it’s difficult to introduce major changes in layout, so we focused on sculpting light instead,” emphasizes Piotr Maciaszek.
Inner light
Another noteworthy feature is the illuminated perfume displays. At first glance, they may look similar to those in other perfumeries – but there is a crucial difference. “We wanted to avoid a common mistake often seen in retail design: direct light falling on the perfume liquid and heating the bottles. Both phenomena negatively affect fragrance compositions and degrade the aromatic molecules,” explains Marcin Budzyk-Wermiński.
The designers carefully calibrated the placement and angle of the lighting to highlight the beauty of the bottles without endangering their contents, dazzling customers, or creating protruding edges that could catch when a bottle is removed. The light, reflected off the silvery surface texture, accentuates the elegance of the bottles and the amber-like glow of the perfume essence itself. “This way, the bottles also cast no uncontrolled shadows,” adds Maciej Jasina.
The flawless execution is the result of intensive, highly committed design work, including a full stage of furniture prototyping. This approach ensures that the outcome fully meets the client’s expectations – and we know from a reliable source that it did in the case of the Kulczyński x NOKE collaboration.
Team:
Architects: Kulczyński x NOKE
Photographers: Piotr Maciaszek, Maciej Jasina
