Dezeen
In this exclusive video produced by Dezeen, French architect Maxime d’Angeac reveals how his redesign of the historic Orient Express train aims to create « a new embassy of French luxury ».
Launching in 2025, the interiors of the train cars were revealed in an immersive virtual reality (VR) exhibition called Orient Express Revelation, dispalyed during Paris art week between 17 to 21 October 2022.
The first Orient Express train was designed by Belgian civil engineer Georges Nagelmackers 140 years ago. Since then, the train received its first and only redesign in 1924, making D’Angeac’s reinterpretation the first in almost 100 years.
« We have two versions of the Orient Express, » explained D’Angeac in the video. « One in 1883, and one extremely famous that you could see in the movies of James Bond and of Sidney Lumet, which was the Orient Express 1924. »
« Since 1924, nothing happened, so we’ve redone everything 100 years later. »
Hospitality group Accor selected D’Angeac based on his experience of carrying out restoration ad decoration projects for brands such as Daum, Hermès, and Guerlain over the past 20 years. He was given the simple brief of « redesigning the most iconic train in the world ».
The new design is informed by 19th-century French design and is characterised by « contemporary luxury ». It features rosewood details, marble-covered tables and bronze column capitals.