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STEP INSIDE AN ALL-NEW ART DECO ORIENT EXPRESS TRAIN
The iconic train has been reimagined by French architect Maxime d’Angeac into a 1920s-inspired design with all the touches of modern convenience.
As far as trains go, few can boast the international and historical renown of the Orient Express. Offering a luxurious passageway from east to west at a time when rail travel was all the rage, its design helped define an era’s idea of luxury aesthetics. While trains of the 2020s are more functional and less fancy than they were a century ago, a newly reimagined take on the Orient Express will offer a chance to restore rail travel to its golden age once it rolls out the station in the near future.
This week, the train formerly know as the Nostalgie-istanbul-Orient-Express will debut a new look on the world stage with an immersive exhibition during Contemporary Art Week in Paris, updating one of the most iconic takes on transportation design for a new era of luxury.
The project was commissioned by Accor. After a protracted negotiation process, Orient Express took possession of the train in July 20218, at which point French architect Maxime d’Angeac, known for restoring Maison Guerlain on the Champs-Elysées and collaborations with fashion houses like Hermès, got to work on a forward-looking restoration.
For d’Angeac, the goal was not simply to revive the famed train’s look and feel, but to foster a dialogue between its signature aesthetics and the 100 years of design that have happened since. « From -the project’s- framework, a decor emerged – one without a defined era, instead inspired by Art Deco, Empire, and contemporary styles », d’Angeac said in a press release detailing the renovation efforts. « The train’s history has been rewritten, this time transcending trends. Nothing is superflous – each detail has meaning. ».