In April 2024, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express proudly introduces L’Observatoire, an exclusive sleeper carriage with interiors designed by world-renowned artist JR.
This unique addition, set to join the train in 2025, marks the first artist-designed carriage on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and promises to offer the most spacious and immersive accommodation on the train.
JR’s lifelong fascination with trains, sparked during his childhood, serves as the primary inspiration for L’Observatoire. The design also draws from his Paris art studio, the allure of century-old craftsmanship, astronomical observatories, and Renaissance Europe’s cabinets of curiosity.
JR expressed his vision for L’Observatoire, saying, “With this carriage, people can step into my imaginative world. I focused on shapes, using curved corners and round windows to create little places for daydreaming. Guests can now stay in an artist’s private space while traveling on the most iconic train in the world, experiencing this creative intersection in a way never seen before.”
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An Artwork in Motion
The carriage’s interiors are a journey through various environments, each showcasing JR’s meticulous attention to detail. Guests will find a bedroom with a double bed, an ensuite bathroom, a wardrobe, a reclining day bed, a lounge area, a library with books curated by French publisher Gallimard, and a secret tearoom with a fireplace. Rounded windows and an oculus skylight allow guests to engage with the passing European landscapes.
Each space is designed with respect for timeless crafts, featuring hidden details curated by JR to spark curiosity and imagination. From secret compartments to concealed messages within the intricate marquetry, L’Observatoire invites guests to uncover its wonders as they travel across the continent.
JR elaborated, “I wanted to include many hidden details and layers that inspire a sense of wonder and inner childlike curiosity. There are hidden compartments and secret messages that some guests will notice while others might miss. This carriage is so richly detailed that it would be impossible to explore it all in a single trip.”
A Shared Love for Trains
JR’s passion for trains and historic crafts attracted him to this project with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. This interest is evident throughout his career, from his 2007 work ‘Women Are Heroes,’ which featured his iconic eye pastings on train roofs and sides in Nairobi’s Kibera slum, to ‘Mind the Gap’ in 2017, a giant installation of 700 miniature trains depicting faces in a continuous loop.
“I have a long history with trains—they’ve always been a canvas for me,” JR shared. “As a child, I would watch the world go by from the window. Later, I saw trains as a way to make my art travel, replacing Metro maps with my photography. It allowed me to send my work into the unknown like a message in a bottle.”
Custodians of Timeless Crafts
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, comprised of 17 carriages built in the 1920s and 1930s, has long been decorated by notable Art Deco designers like René Prou and René Lalique. Now, nearly a century later, the train entrusts JR to breathe new life into one of its original carriages, Sleeping Car 3553, through a careful restoration that respects the historic essence of the train.
JR utilized century-old artisanal techniques to maintain the train’s authenticity while creating a powerfully immersive experience. The result is an artwork in motion, inviting guests to embrace observation, curiosity, adventure, and listening—core elements of JR’s artistic vision.
Reflecting on the collaboration, JR said, “I never imagined this collaboration because the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is such a historic train. Working with artisans and respecting the motifs from the era of the train’s construction was not a constraint. It was about creating a timeless artwork, as if I were an artist from the 1920s. The fundamental craft is timeless.”
Gary Franklin, Vice President of Trains & Cruises at Belmond, commented, “The team and I are thrilled to work with JR, who shares our passion for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. L’Observatoire showcases our commitment to reinventing the railway experience, perpetuating the art of slow luxury across our growing portfolio.”
L’Observatoire will join the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in 2025. To register your interest in experiencing this new carriage, please contact the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express team.
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