If, in the past, travelling was all about the destination, today, it’s all about the journey. With the launch of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express’ new suite, designed by French photographer and street artist JR, Belmond taught us an important lesson in the beauty of slowing down and, as they say, enjoying the ride.

Trains have long been part of JR’s story. ‘I grew up in the suburbs,’ he recalls. ‘I would take the train to Paris and paste my first photos in it, over the metro maps.’ Worth noting is his ‘Women are Heroes’ project, in which the artist photographed women in Nairobi, Kenya, and covered a whole train with their eyes. This, in particular, was what made VSOE general director Pascal Deyrolle think of him for the design of a new carriage four years ago. ‘We’ve created history,’ Deyrolle says. ‘Not just an immersive artistic experience, a cabinet of curiosities by JR, but something that will continue to exist long after we’re gone.’

Once a dining car, ‘L’Observatoire’ is now a carriage-long accommodation fair to label an artwork in motion. JR was given free creative licence to reimagine the interiors, provided he preserved the train’s pre-1945 character, initially conceptualised by art deco designers such as René Prou and René Lalique.

Photos Courtesy of Belmond