Designer Inge Moore and her new studio Muza Lab have completed the interiors of South America's first luxury sleeper train, the Belmond Andean Explorer in Peru.
Carrying up to 48 passengers, the Explorer is formed of 16 carriages from the former Great South Pacific Express train. They have been contemporised by Moore with a refined, pared-back aesthetic featuring timber floors, linen roman blinds and colourful woven textiles.
There are four configurations of private, en-suite sleeper cars, as well as a Piano car for musical performances, a library car, a dining car, an observation car and a spa car with three treatment rooms.
Muza used locally-sourced materials, traditional Peruvian design techniques and the palettes and textures of the terrain to create a detailed backdrop for the spectacle of the Peruvian Andes. These are contrasted with subtle nods to the original train and “the golden age of rail travel.”
“We design journeys,” Moore said, “and with Belmond Andean Explorer, we have distilled the romance, nostalgia and freedom of the train voyage.
“The train is a place of transition where time seems to slow down between the departure and the arrival. Our vision was to design somewhere to ponder and dream, a space where the beauty of the land can infuse the soul.
“We design spaces that encourage moments of magic to come to life. By elevating what is already an incredible, awe-inspiring journey into a one-of-a-kind immersion into Peru’s culture, landscape and crafts, passengers have a new, contemporary way to enjoy the beauty of slow travel and create memories they will cherish forever.”
Describing the spa, she added: “Our design encourages deep relaxation by tapping into the train journey’s dreamlike sense of suspended time. A soothing shade of white on the streamlined car panels helps create a moment of stillness as the colourful landscape whirs by, inspiring guests to internalise the beauty outside as the therapists work their magic.
“The design is both poetic and practical, with treatment beds securely affixed to the floor due to the train’s movements. Small, locally-made sunburst mirrors bring sparkle as passengers emerge refreshed and energised.”
