Designs for future Orient Express train unveiled in Paris

The luxury train operator commissioned renowned architect Maxime d’Angeac to redesign old historic carriages belonging to the defunct Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express, adding plush and bold new furnishings inspired by the 1920s to the classic carriage design.

Newly equipped with modern facilities, the decadent new carriages combine art deco, empire and contemporary styles. The bar and dining carriages are designed with comfort and ease of movement in mind, with carefully positioned furniture.

Inside the Bar Car, d’Angeac has created a chic vintage space with bold green furnishings and dark rosewood walls under wide domes of light and a glass bar inspired by french glasswork brand Lalique. Meanwhile, the Dining Car features arches and a mirrored ceiling with design touches revisiting original Orient-Express details such as shaded table lamps and studded armchairs.

Suites onboard the train are rounded at the corners to add softness to the train’s strict lines, with hardwood and leather walls, corner sofas that convert into double beds, marble bathrooms and separate dressing rooms.

“The train’s history has been rewritten, this time transcending trends,” said d’Angeac. “Nothing is superfluous – each detail has meaning. It is part engineering feat, part dream-inspiring work of art that is the epitome of French luxury, complete with refined decor, sublimated by the savoir-faire and talent of the finest French artisans.”

To coincide with the Paris Contemporary Art Week, the new train aesthetic is on display at an exhibition in the seventh arrondissement from 17-21 October, and the designs will also be showcased at Design Miami in Florida’s Miami Beach from 30 November-4 December 2022.

The new carriages will also go on show in 2024 ahead of the Paris Olympic Games.