Interiors of world's largest sailing yach draw on "golden age of luxury cruises"

Marble and marquetry bring a sense of old-school glamour to suites designed by architect Maxime d'Angeac for the 220-metre Orient Express Corinthian yacht, which has set sail for the first time from a dock in Saint-Nazaire, France.

Billed as the "world's largest sailing yacht", the cruise ship was designed by Stirling Design International and built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique for hotel group Accor, which operates the famous Orient Express train.

The 15,000-tonne, 220-metre vessel was entirely built in France, with contributions from around 2,000 artisans and ateliers helping to realise D'Angeac's vision.

It can accommodate 110 guests across 54 suites, each with a floor area between 45 and 230 square metres.

D'Angeac designed the suites to evoke a sense of quiet refinement and feature panoramic bay windows, with decor showcasing materials including leather, precious wood veneers and marble.

"The interior design embodies a perfect balance between the past and the future, it is a tribute to the golden age of the French Riviera, with very futuristic lines and great technological innovation," D'Angeac told Dezeen when the plans were unveiled in 2023.

"It perfectly embodies the Orient Express brand, which with its 140 years of history, has always been avant-garde."

The Orient Express Corinthian is the first cruise ship to be equipped with Chantiers de l'Atlantique's SolidSail wind propulsion system.

The system comprises three rigs, each spanning 1,500 square metres, which enable the ship to reach speeds of up to 12 knots using wind power alone. The sails are supplemented with an engine powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Alongside the accommodation, Orient Express Corinthian contains five restaurants and eight bars, including a 1930s-style speakeasy, as well as a 115-seat cabaret, recording studio, cinema, swimming pool and spa.

The interiors reference the refined styling of the original Orient Express train, which launched in 1883 to link Paris and Istanbul, then known as Constantinople.

The spaces also evoke the golden age of ocean liners such as the SS Normandie, which was built in the same shipyard.

"All the suites and the entire design of the yacht have been conceived as unique spaces that break the boundaries of Orient Express's classic decorative grammar while remaining true to its very particular codes," said D'Angeac.

"A contemporary vision of Orient Express, that of an era in which high quality is synonymous with excellence and calls for a real aesthetic revolution."

The yacht will spend her inaugural season in Europe before crossing the Atlantic to winter in the Caribbean.

Other recent examples of innovative yacht concepts include Foster + Partners' design for a megayacht featuring triple-height living spaces, and a submersible superyacht designed to explore above and beneath the seas.

The photography is by Alixe Lay unless otherwise stated.

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