The British Pullman, A Belmond Train, has drawn back its suitably theatrical curtain on the design details of Celia, a new private dining and events carriage imagined and designed by visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, together with Oscar-winning costume and production designer, Catherine Martin…
Drawing inspiration from the British countryside, Shakespeare, and the extravagant and flamboyant flair characteristic of a Baz Luhrmann film set, the design concept of The British Pullman’s Celia follows the narrative of the Australian director’s fictional muse Celia. An emblem of playfulness and after-hours mischief, the imagined West End leading lady was gifted her own Pullman car in 1932 in honour of her era-defining performance as Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As such, every detail of the carriage weaves together her life story and Shakespearean vernacular, creating a dreamlike cinematic atmosphere through every aspect of the carriage’s interiors.
Image credit: Yukiko Noritake
Stepping onto Celia you are immediately transported into another world. A bygone era of nostalgic luxury, Celia’s layout mimics the acts of a play and is revealed one by one thanks to two gigantic velvet curtains which individually space out and reveal on cue, the carriage’s storied compartments. The first is the bar lounge, a cinematic sanctuary complete with parquet floors and walls decorated in intricate patterns, floral motifs and enchanting fairies. In the separate snug, an elaborate pink, red, green and yellow carpet which rolls its way up to a plush tasselled purple velvet sofa decorated with pillows.
Catherine Martin commented: “Celia tells the story of a true and authentic narrative. From the beginning, the project was always about unearthing the voyage and discovery of the British landscape and discovering it from within. The central design was built around storytelling in mind and how guests created their own narratives within the world of Celia. The carriage has been designed in such a way that it is modular and extremely customisable so guests can dial in their own experience in the fantastical make belief world Baz and I have created.”
Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin | Image credit: Hugh Stewart
The magic continues in the Dining Room. A celebration of contemporary heritage, here, patterned marquetry mirrors the quintessentially dandy English landscape. Gentle florets feature prominently throughout the interiors, especially the pansy, a symbol of British nostalgia, love and for the Victorians, forbidden romance. Throughout, bold greens, blousy browns and deep reds mimic the theatrical flair of the West End stage, as do the naval style windows and backlit glass ceilings designed to give the impression of being inside a theatrical jewel box. Elsewhere, green and maroon scalloped chairs make up the elaborately detailed timber dining table.
Image credit: Ludovic Balay
To encapsulate the world of Celia, all of the carriage’s spaces were meticulously considered from conception. Catherine Martin has utilised the expertise and vision of several handselected British artisans; she worked with with long-term Belmond collaborators including marquetry artisans Dunn & Son, leading British bespoke furniture designer Bill Cleyndert, as well as Tony Sandles Bespoke Glass studio, embroiders Hand and Lock, and J.K Interiors. Historic British manufacturer of fine bone China, Duchess China collaborated with the designer on the tableware’s look and feel. Catherine Martin has also handpicked British suppliers for the carriage’s food and beverage elements including David Mellor for the cutlery and Waterford Crystal for the glassware As such, all of the plates, glassware and dishes have been individually selected to give the impression that they are part of someone’s own personal collection of crockery. A signature scent, personally selected by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin has been developed to further immerse guests into the world of Celia.
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- Image credit: Ludovic Balay
All of Celia’s interiors allude to the English landscape the British Pullman traverses through. Pansies, a reference to the flower that is squeezed into the ear of Titania in Shakespeare’s play, feature heavily throughout the carriage’s textured pieces. Materiality is also at the heart of Celia’s design story. The marquetry in particular has been crafted to evoke the feeling of being part of the train’s 1930s narrative. Tri-coloured wooden masterpieces line the carriage depicting fantasy scenes which find their roots in the pastimes of rural England.
Celia, the actress is caught in the moment, immortalised in the marquetry as Titania. To add to the textured feeling of the carriage, parquet floors complement the marquetry to give the impression guests are travelling through England’s storied forests. All the textured materials and interchangeable mood lighting has been installed to add to the sense of cinema in the carriage and can be adapted and customised on every British Pullman journey. A fabric covered ceiling has also been added to exemplify the space’s acoustics to help enhance live performances.
Image credit: Yukiko Noritake
Every element of Celia has been created to be bespoke. From the moment guests make a booking they will have direct access to a personal guest experience curator, a brand-new addition specifically created for Celia guests. All aspects of the experience will be meticulously planned from off-train excursions to personal menus and wine preferences, discussed and agreed upon directly with the carriage’s dedicated chef and team before boarding the British Pullman. On the day of the journey, guests will be collected via private luxury transfer from any London hotel or within the Greater London area and then brought to London’s Victoria Station. On arrival, guests will be chauffeured to board Celia and enjoy welcome drinks, courtesy of their own dedicated team of stewards for the day. The journey begins in the bar and lounge area of the carriage, where champagne flows and stories begin to unfold. To heighten the suspense, giant theatrical curtains have been installed to give guests a sense of cinematic theatricality throughout. When lunch or dinner is served, the curtains will open to reveal the dining space bar and lounge which will then have been transformed into an entertainment space equipped with a stage and dance floor. Live performances, as well as playlists and DJ sets, can be arranged in advance and will be discussed at the time of booking.
Commenting on the arrival of Celia, Senior Vice President of Trains & Cruises at Belmond Gary Franklin said: “The British Pullman has long been an incredible train and with the addition of Celia, it is set to become even greater. Both Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin have brought a new layer of timeless imagination to one of the UK’s great train journeys. Celia introduces an entirely new kind of private dining experience, not just to trains, but also to the British capital. It is a rare and unique opportunity to create your own journey at a level of bespoke luxury not seen before, crafted and envisioned by two of the world’s leading design duos. Nothing about Celia is prescriptive. Celia is all about creating your own world and that, thanks to Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, is creative storytelling at its best.”
Main image credit: Ludovic Balay
