The two are often associated together, but the original Orient Express train immortalised in literature by Agatha Christie and ran from 1883 to 2009 is not to be mistaken for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which began operating from 1982. The latter, which runs between London and Venice with several other recurrent European destinations, isn’t just any ordinary sleeper train and rail service; it is a lavish leisure experience with five-star dining included.
Leaping forward to the present, the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train presents L’Observatoire – a private sleeper carriage with exclusive interiors conceptualised and designed by world-acclaimed French photographer and artist JR. The premier carriage will be joining the rake in 2025 and is poised to be the most spacious accommodation type onboard the train.
No stranger to trains and old-century crafts, JR’s ardour for rails was kindled as a child and has been evident throughout his career. His seminal 2007 ‘Women Are Heroes’ project involved the conspicuous pasting of eyes on the roofs and sides of trains, whereas 2017’s ‘Mind the Gap’ saw the installation of 700 miniature trains depicting faces, looping in an endless circle.
Adding onto his illustrious repertoire of locomotive-centric work is L’Observatoire, an artwork in motion influenced by the aesthetic of his personal art studio in Paris, intricately fused with the charm of old-century crafts, astronomical observatories, and the cabinets of curiosity of Renaissance Europe.
“With L’Observatoire, people can enter my imaginary world. I envisioned the carriage primarily through shapes, with curved corners and round windows, so guests have little places to daydream. Guests can now stay in an artist’s private space while being in the most iconic train in the world–experiencing this creative crossroads for the duration of a journey is very special and hasn’t been seen in this way before.” JR, February 2024.
The extraordinary carriage features a bedroom with a double bed, ensuite bathroom, wardrobe, reclining daybed, lounge area, library with books selected by French publisher Gallimard, and a secret tea room with a fireplace–all designed with outstanding detail to elicit curiosity and instil a sense of imagination while guests engage with the exterior landscapes of Europe through the windows and oculus skylight on the ceiling.
A realm of unexpected marvels, L’Observatoire is chock full of surprises that enchant the inner child, from hidden compartments to secret messages layered in the intricate marquetry. The labyrinthine of details are utterly beyond comprehension, to such a degree that one single trip onboard L’Observatoire would not suffice for optimal exploration.
Constructed in the 1920s and 1930s, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express comprises 17 carriages and in the past has been decorated by René Prou and René Lalique, who created the train’s iconic tulip lamp and glass panelling of the Côte d’Azur restaurant car. JR undertook this monumental project by employing artisanal century-old techniques to preserve the train’s look and feel, while creating something so commandingly immersive.
To explore the core tenets of JR’s universe on the L’Observatoire aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express from 2025, sign up here.
