maxime d'angeac modernizes historical train interiors of ‘orient express’

Modern orient express after 100 years

French architect Maxime d’Angeac has been restoring and decorating projects for luxury houses such as Daum, Hermès, and Guerlain for the past 20 years. His designs touch upon a personal interpretation of luxury, drawn from his fascination with the great revolutionary artistic movements and travel novels. A wanderer himself, the architect imagined what it would be like to bring about a contemporary visual for the historical Orient Express.

That imagination turned into a tangible work of design as the architect renovated Orient Express’s interiors 100 years later with Accor Group. The train‘s new look is showcased at Design Miami/ in Florida during Miami Art Week 2022, from November 30 to December 4, 2022.images courtesy of Maxime d’Angeac Studio

Maxime d’Angeac revisits THE TRAIN’S DESIGN

Maxime d’Angeac’s design follows the footsteps of the rail motif conceived by Suzanne Lalique-Havilandin in the 1930s. The infusion nudged the architect to place mirrors in the ceiling, amplifying the expanse of the space, and line the corridors with a series of arches, tables, and wrap-around armchairs.

The space lights up through the warm lighting oozing from vintage-styled lampshades. The partitions veer from the original layout to make way for d’Angeac’s stoneboard technique. Large domes of light inspired by the Second Empire style ornate the ceilings of the Bar-Car, and the glass counter of the bar pays tribute to René Lalique’s signature and craftsmanship.

bar

Entering the Suites, the accommodation invites guests to burrow themselves into the polished-wood ambiance of the room, letting the sense of serenity while on board simmer. Everywhere, the corners are rounded, and the partitions are covered with wood and leather.

The headboards are embroidered with wood, mother of pearl, and bronze. In a niche, the famous Lalique ‘Blackbirds & Grapes’ panels, originating from the historic train, are displayed. The large sofas brush against the comfort of a large bed, and a bathroom and dressing room complete the ingenious layout.

restaurant

140 years ago, Georges Nagelmackers turned his dream into reality by launching the first luxury Orient Express trains. Today, the legend continues with the unveiling of the future Orient Express train. The modern Orient Express poses a technical challenge that d’Angeac took on.

His research made him look into the notion of the Modulor established by Le Corbusier in 1945 and the respect of proportions and search for comfort within narrow spaces. The result culminates in a redesign defined by the beauty of rhythm, traversed by technological revolutions and history of inventions and design.

corridor

For d’Angeac, the rebirth of the Orient Express is a meeting between scientific and technical criteria and an artistic and aesthetic challenges where the entire project has been conceived as a total work of art. ‘From the screws stamped Orient Express to the innovative concept of the suites, a few mind games and an exact science of detail will allow travelers to rediscover the great splendor of the Orient Express,’ he writes.

Sébastien Bazin, Chairmain & CEO of Accor, comments that the modern Orient Express train is a story inspired by a dream and a timeless train that was the object of all fantasies. ‘Maxime d’Angeac’s design awakens the myth with the revelation of its luxury, modernity, and French elegance. Tomorrow, the Orient Express will shine again, proud of its 140 years of history and looking to the future. The legend continues,’ he adds.

suite room