Architect and designer Maxime d'Angeac reimagines itinerant hospitality with two major projects: the Orient-Express train and the first of the Orient Express Silenseas sailing ships. Both inspired by the 1920s-1930s and nourished by the codes of contemporary luxury.
For the past thirty years, Maxime d'Angeac has turned his profession as an architect into a veritable goldsmith's art, as exemplified by the Guerlain boutique on the Champs-Élysées. This lover of the Italian Renaissance, Art Deco, Palladian architecture, Jules Verne stories and the Transperceneige comic strip examines each of his projects on a case-by-case basis. " I'm not a made-to-measure architect," he says . Whether it's preparatory sketches, interior design, lighting or art purchases, Maxime d'Angeac takes care of the design from start to finish, paying particular attention to detail. In recent years, the 62-year-old has been involved in what he describes as "the project of a lifetime", with the Orient-Express train and its maritime version, one of the first two Silenseas ships, scheduled for completion by 2026.
A time-defying treasure on rails
Through this vast program, the architect and decorator, appointed artistic director in January 2024, is collaborating with the Accor Group to reinterpret this railroad myth, founded in 1883 by Georges Nagelmackers and discontinued in 1977. While this jewel may have been resurrected for a few years in the 1980s with the Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express, its owner, businessman Albert Glatt, eventually sold his creation to the Orient Express brand in 2018.
Today, Maxime d'Angeac is responsible for bringing the legend back to life, drawing on the Modulor concept established by Le Corbusier in 1945, Art Deco, Empire and contemporary styles. All sublimated by the expertise of French craftsmen. The carriages revive Suzanne Lalique's "rail" motif and the original Morrison and Nelson marquetry panels. The bar car reveals itself in shades of green, combining rosewood, marble table tops and bronze capitals. The glass bar counter continues its tribute to Lalique, as does the dining car, with tapestry motifs.
In the suites, the designer rounds off the angles and plays with perspective with witch mirrors. Wall-to-wall leather reclaims the "rail" motif, headboards are covered in embroidery and the bathroom is adorned with marble. As for the corridors, these cramped circulation spaces are given a theatrical decor adorned with graphic carpeting.
A dream at sea combining technology and comfort
Now it's time to set sail on the Corinthian, the first of two Orient Express Silenseas vessels designed in partnership with Accor and Chantiers de l'Atlantique. This superb 220-meter-long sailing ship, with 4,500 square meters of sail area spread over its three masts, is expected to reach "a speed of 17 knots, pushed by the force of the wind alone". It is inspired by the golden age of luxury cruising, with itineraries planned in the Mediterranean, the Adriatic and the Caribbean.
On board, Maxime d'Angeac once again honors wood, leather and marble. The 54 suites, ranging in size from 45 to 230 square meters, feature panoramic bay windows or private terraces. The yacht also boasts five restaurants, eight bars including a 1930s-inspired speakeasy, a 115-seat Parisian cabaret, a recording studio, a cinema and a spa. The marina, located at the stern, is ideal for dining and water sports, while the 16-meter swim lane is ideal for exercising.
More than 140 years after the luxury rail icon, and almost a century after the Normandie liner , the Corinthian continues the Orient Express legacy, embarking on a new maritime chapter of sustainable energy. But that's not all. The Accor group's many Orient Express hospitality projects also include the launch of the La Dolce Vita train and the first La Minerva hotels in Rome and Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice.
