Paris, France – Starting from the origin of a style and capturing its contemporary resonance… The exhibition 1925 – 2025: A Century of Art Deco reveals the current relevance of the alliance between the virtuosity of the decorative arts and technical audacity – two masterful expressions of French excellence.
Supported by Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor, Orient Express is the main partner of the exhibition, celebrating the centenary of the Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925. Since that golden age, Orient Express has transcended time – today witnessing its rebirth, with a continued commitment to excellence, elegance, and meaning, under the artistic direction of architect Maxime d’Angeac.
On the occasion of the exhibition that the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is dedicating to the centenary of Art Deco in its galleries, the Orient Express is invited to present, exclusively under the Nave, elements of the future train — the first projections of the direction initiated by Maxime d’Angeac. These elements will resonate with previously unseen archival pieces from the historic trains, weaving a continuous dialogue between past, present, and future throughout the visit.
2025: Upholding the Imperative of Excellence – to Reinvent Orient Express
The future Orient Express is, first and foremost, a technical challenge. A moving object, complex, sanctified by the beauty of rhythm, shaped by technological revolutions and the history of inventions. Even today, it remains the result of a feat of engineering,
says Maxime d’Angeac. Under his artistic direction, Orient Express has remained faithful to its heritage while reinventing the contemporary codes of luxury. Every element of the future train has been meticulously drawn in Indian ink with a 0.13 mm fine point— symbolic of a technical precision that does not deceive.
Every line is a tribute to the intelligence of the drawing, a meticulous dialogue between artisanal craftsmanship and the demands of railway operation (safety, weight, vibrations…). The design incorporates more modern principles such as energy efficiency, sustainability, high technology, and safety—without sacrificing elegance, comfort, or sensory richness.
Maxime d’Angeac and his teams are not merely reinterpreting the past—they are extending its spirit. Radical in its precision, complete in its conception, every space is the result of a finely orchestrated aesthetic composition performed by the finest craftsmen—more than thirty trades, from cabinetmakers to engineers. It is this near-obsessive rigor that gives Orient Express its unique power. A myth is not rebuilt by simplifying—but by carrying the gesture through to its fullest expression.
In 1925, France showcased its excellence by presenting complete decorative ensembles created by the “grand ensembliers” of the time—those whose holistic vision sought to harmonize furniture, textiles, lighting, tableware, and interior design into a unified, immersive spatial experience—far beyond isolated furnishings. Among the iconic figures exhibited were Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, Jean Dunand, Pierre Chareau, René Prou… This vision extended to the new world of travel: the ocean liner Normandie and the Orient Express train of that era became its emblems.
The evocation of these names still sparks collective imagination because they embodied entire worlds of refinement for exploring the globe. Guided by the talents of Suzanne Lalique-Haviland and René Prou, masters of Art Deco applied to travel (notably for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique and its new generation of liners), and elevated by René Lalique, the train became a symbol of French taste—an ambassador in motion.
In 2025, the rebirth of Orient Express continues this legacy.
An Ambitious Artistic Direction
Maxime d’Angeac, a passionate, erudite, and iconoclastic architect, embraces the scale—or even the excess—of the projects entrusted to him. As Artistic Director of Orient Express, he is orchestrating the rebirth of a myth. Maxime d’Angeac cultivates the art of divergence, favoring the timeless over the fleeting, precision over showmanship. A certified architect (DPLG), trained in scenography under Hilton McConnico, he has championed for thirty years a stripped-down architecture, refined by light and guided by detail. At the head of his architecture firm MDA, he brings this vision to large-scale projects, always prioritizing ‘the plan, the light, the detail’ — those fundamentals he transforms into an invisible signature.
A connoisseur of the Italian Renaissance and Palladian architecture, a devoted reader and collector of rare books, he is obsessed with volumetric perfection. With him, rigor is not austere—it is alive. His hand draws spaces where light moves slowly.
A practitioner of combat sports, he finds in physical discipline the counterpart to his intellectual rigor. This duality shapes his architecture: precise, direct, devoid of decorative excess. What matters to me,
he says, is creating frameworks for living – not only backdrops.
The Exhibition: A Homage to Craftsmanship Across a Century
To witness the rebirth of Orient Express is to feel the enduring aesthetic spirit of its origins, the sincerity of the approach, and the fundamental sense of rigor that has persisted through a century.
A grand engineering project, Orient Express is also a complete work of art – a showcase for French craftsmanship. In the spirit of the great Art Deco ensembliers, Maxime d’Angeac brought together prestigious master artisans for the project: embroiderers, sculptors, watchmakers, metalworkers, glassmakers, cabinetmakers, lighting experts, engineers… All worked in respect to the strictest of industrial constriants. Nothing was left to chance. Every piece has its function; every gesture has its meaning.
Rinck, Ateliers d’Offard, Jean-Brieuc Chevalier, Ateliers Jouffre, Paul Champs, Philippe Coudray, Atelier Chauvet, the Tapestry Manufacture of Burgundy, Atelier Moderne Pulsatil… are among the exceptional talents who brought their passion for craftsmanship to the rebirth of Orient Express. Here, luxury is not displayed—it is felt, revealed in both material and the precision of detail.
The 2025 exhibition invites reflection on the continuity of a certain phenomena – such as travel. The Orient Express project explores what travel means today: a way to relearn time, to inhabit space, to appreciate silence. In contrast to the instantaneous, this journey invites slowness, mastery, and contemplation. In this, it reconnects with the philosophy of 1925: that of useful elegance, of the grace in the moment. Orient Express does not recount the past—through the magic of its reinvention, the demanding vision of its artistic direction, and the talent of its teams surrounding it, it carries forward an enduring intuition.
As in 1925, Orient Express pays tribute to the hand, the eye, the mind—to everything that demands time. This train is more than a means of transport – it is a destination in itself. A world in motion.
About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group
Accor is a world-leading hospitality group offering stays and experiences across more than 110 countries with over 5,600 hotels and resorts, 10,000 bars & restaurants, wellness facilities and flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry’s most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing around 45 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. ALL, the booking platform and loyalty program embodies the Accor promise during and beyond the hotel stay and gives its members access to unique experiences. Accor is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity, and inclusivity. Accor’s mission is reflected in the Group’s purpose: Pioneering the art of responsible hospitality, connecting cultures, with heartfelt care. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France. Included in the CAC 40 index, the Group is publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information, please visit group.accor.com or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.
