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One of the best-known means of transportation on the planet, the Orient Express.
Perhaps one of the best-known means of transportation on the planet, the Orient Express has plied its way between various European destinations since its inaugural journey in June 1883. Whilst the original service was ultimately whittled down to a shadow of its former self, before closing in 2009, the storied name is being revived by the genre-spanning French hospitality giant Accor, with the first train departing in 2027.
Now the first images of Accor’s reborn train have been revealed, debuting at the monumental 1925-2025 : One Hundred Years of Art Deco exhibition running at Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs. It’s an apposite pairing, given the train’s historical association with contemporary opulence and craft, and the reputation of the chosen architect, Maxime d’Angeac as a contemporary exponent of the Art Deco legacy.
The Orient Express has been reborn as modern-day manifestation of this exotic, extravagant and highly craft-dependent movement. No fewer than thirty artisans have been approached to contribute their skills to the new carriages, all guided by d’Angeac in his role as the Artistic Director of Orient Express. The ultimate aim to create a « showcase for French craftsmanship… in the spirit of the great Art Deco ensembliers. »