Interior design
The Blue Eye’s design allows passengers to marvel at the wonders of the sea from an interior that matches its aesthetic and ambiance.
multi-sensorial underwater lounge aimed at evoking maritime life in all its splendour and mystery. Flamant partnered on the project with Jacques Rougerie – and the legendary oceanographer’s influence is clear. Visitors to the Blue Eye can gaze out through a pair of portholes, shaped like the eyes of a giant whale, towards jellyfish and other aquatic marvels. Inside, they can sit on sofas like sea rocks, sipping cocktails as the sea shudders up their spines. This is more than just a metaphor: sub-aquatic music literally vibrates through the sofas in unity with the ocean.
Given all this, it seems fair to agree with Flamant that the Blue Eye, in its full-hearted embrace of natural life, is “completely extraordinary”. Even so, it is far from unique. After all, operators the world over are taking similar steps to immerse passengers in the world about them. MSC Cruises, for instance, has worked with De Jorio Design, a Genoese firm, to develop spas that look and feel like seaside cliffs. Tilberg Design of Sweden, for its part, has helped Norwegian operator Hurtigruten on the decor of the Fritjof Nansen. An expedition ship, the vessel weaves its way through mountain fjords and icebergs. More to the point, Guarnieri explains, these environments deeply influenced the final design. “How nice it is for a passenger to be on an excursion all day, in close contact with nature – and then come back and be welcomed by a cabin which has the same tones, textures, and ambience that they experienced outside.” Unsurprisingly, building spaces that believably evoke life beyond the gangway requires careful technical planning, especially given how secure modern ships have to be. The Blue Eye is a good example. Portholes, for instance, are typically built above the waterline, which protects them from leaks and other breaches. To get round this problem, Flamant says that his colleagues reinforced the Blue Eye’s windows – rigorously testing their integrity against tonnes of steel. Employing natural materials can go a long way towards bringing an artificial space alive. No wonder, then, that the Fritjof’s interiors are flecked with birch, oak and wool. Stone features too, something new technology makes far easier to implement in practice. As Guarnieri points out, this means rocks can
World Cruise Industry Review /
www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com
be thinner and lighter, ideal for floating hulls on violent seas.
Hot property
That last point is worth reflecting on. For if lighter stone is one way of bringing nature to design, other challenges are more difficult. Again, this often comes down to safety. In place since 1914, and regularly updated, the SOLAS Convention prohibits use of certain materials. Fair enough: disasters like the 1990 Scandinavian Star fire – which killed 158 people – show how quickly blazes can race through flammable bulkheads. It is clear that both Guarnieri and Flamant take these provisions seriously. The Frenchman speaks for them both when he says “we have to comply with regulations”, no matter how arduous. Once again, technology helps, with designers able to mimic natural materials with less flammable alternatives. Though they may look and feel like coral, the walls of the Blue Eye are actually made from artificial materials. Guarnieri makes a similar point, explaining how her colleagues can swap rare woods for plastic laminates, or else only use wood where it will get noticed. Inevitably, too, these trends bring up ever-present arguments around environmentalism. Could natural stone tables and woollen blankets help cruising do its part for the planet? Certainly, this is not immaterial in an industry where over 40% of leaders value sustainability – and when the majority of Americans do too. Guarnieri, for her part, is not sure. Though she is an enthusiastic advocate for natural materials in principle, she equally warns that extraction and transportation both come with costs. “We have to be conscious,” she emphasises, “about the full line of production – from manufacture to concept, to installation.” Yet like Flamant, the Italian is nonetheless convinced that refined, hotel-inspired cruise design is here to stay. “I hope passengers will not lose their curiosity around exploring new environments,” she says. “My sense is that there will be much focus on individuality.” Given the increasing thoughtfulness of many customers, this feels reasonable, even if rococo stairwells and artificial palm groves seem unlikely to return. ●
23
Ponant
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65
