The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Just Unveiled Its Glamorous New Carriage

07.10.2024 - 06:39 / cntraveler.com

There’s something otherworldly about traveling by train. It’s romantic, a little retro, and most definitely nostalgic. So when Belmond, the hospitality pros behind one of the world's most iconic train journeys—the Venice Simplon Orient-Express (VSOE)—decided to add a new carriage to their fleet, they had to think carefully about its story.

In March 2025, the train will welcome guests to the latest of its artwork in motion, a private carriage named L'Observatoire designed in collaboration with French photographer and street artist JR. This is the first carriage to be designed by an artist on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and will become its most spacious accommodation yet. We were the first to set foot inside the carriage, an amalgamation of modern whimsy and traditional elegance.

There are various nooks and crannies for guests to curl into, like this cocoon-like day bed by the train window.

The designer behind the carriage, JR, knew from a very young age that his love for trains was something to pursue. The artist kickstarted his obsession with them in his seminal work Women Are Heroes (2007). In this piece, JR pasted large black and white photographs of eyes on the sides and roofs of trains that traveled through the neighborhood of Kibera in Nairobi. These recognizable facial features also appeared in his giant installation, in Provence, of 700 miniature trains in Mind the Gap (2017), which looped in an endless circle. These models appear in the VSOE's onboard library and tea room, carefully placed between a selection of books by French publisher Gallimard. (This secret library and its fireplace are hidden rather romantically behind a bookshelf). Look carefully, though; each train installation displays 24 hours of filmed footage that will reveal clues to solve L’Observetoire’s treasure hunt (more on that later).

The L’Observetoire carriage retains the train's Art Deco design, but there's more to the story here. A total of 9,800 scalloped shapes adorn the space, with some hand-painted by craftsmen outside the seaside town of Livorno in Italy. Spot these pretty patterns in the master bedroom, where waves of green leather allude to trees and nature, bringing the outside in. With inspiration from celestial bodies up above, JR was also able to incorporate his connection with cameras, building an oculus-shaped skylight (there are two) using wood pieces that rotate to open and close. Plus, if it’s raining, there are sprays and windscreen wipers to restore the view. Next to the double bed and freestanding tub—where guests can watch the Grand Canal turn into the Grand Bazaar—is a large-scale stained glass light installation designed by Michael Mayer.

Artwork by French photographer and street artist