Celebrity Cruises has unveiled details of The Grand Plaza on Celebrity Edge, designed by renowned designers Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku of Jouin Manku Studio.
Spanning three decks at the heart of the ship, The Grand Plaza acts as the epicentre of Celebrity Edge, which radiates an energy that lures guests throughout the day, as it transforms both physically and atmospherically.
“We’re thrilled to give everyone another sneak peek of our transformational new ship with the unveiling of The Grand Plaza, the ever-evolving epicentre of Celebrity Edge, and even more beautiful installations brought to life by the truly visionary Jouin Manku, who infused a dynamism and energy that will be felt throughout the ship at almost every turn,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises.
With the aspiration to completely transform the way guests connect to the world, Celebrity sought creative thinkers who were new to the cruise industry to ensure every aspect of Celebrity Edge would be a departure from traditional thinking about cruising.
Among those chosen were the Paris-based design duo of Jouin Manku, who are celebrated for drawing inspiration from a multitude of cultures and for merging cutting-edge technology with old-world craftsmanship. They are credited with world-famous works such as the Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée and the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. Together, the visionaries collaborated with the Celebrity team to bring these new concepts to life.
Jouin’s connection to the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard was also found to be far rooted beyond his work on Celebrity Edge, noting: “The shipyard is very important for me and my family: My grandfather worked at this very yard, and when he passed away at a young age, they hired my grandmother so she could continue to support her family. This project was a very emotional one for me. Sanjit and I channeled that into our design, which inspired our unique approach in showing the craftmanship.”
Features of the Grand Plaza:
- The Grand Plaza will be home to many of Edge’s specialty restaurants – including Raw on 5 and Fine Cut Steakhouse on Deck 5; Le Grand Bistro and Café al Bacio on Deck 4; and the new Grand Plaza Café on Deck 3 – The Grand Plaza truly is a grand space.
- Guests are drawn to the space by The Chandelier, a striking lighting feature – and art installation – that rises over the Martini Bar to the ceiling three decks above. Composed of five levels of 765 blades illuminated by dynamic LED strips that change color from day to night, The Chandelier weighs in at seven tonnes.
- At its centre, on Deck 3, guests will find the next evolution of the Martini Bar, one of the most popular venues across Celebrity’s fleet.
- Adorning the edges of The Grand Plaza are intricately hand-stitched mesh screens, combining more than 13,500 pieces of metal, leather, and fabric.
- The Grand Plaza changes according to mood and function. In the morning, guests to enjoy a cappuccino and a croissant at either of the cafés. Guests can return to The Grand Plaza for afternoon tea or to indulge in a pre-dinner cocktail while enjoying unexpected pop-up performances. At nightfall, the energy transforms completely, and the space becomes the social epicenter of the ship, coming alive with live music.
- Inspired by the thousands of hands that go in to the construction of a ship – such as Jouin’s grandfather, who was a welder in the construction of the S.S. Normandie – Jouin Manku designed the exposed corridor. Complete with authentic welders’ touches, architects’ markings and engineers’ notes, the exposed corridor uncovers the bare hull of the ship leading to and from The Grand Plaza and the main dining rooms.
- The space transforms depending on the direction a guest is walking, like a life-sized lenticular wall. One way, guests will see the unadorned beauty of the ship’s steel bones, while heading in the other direction guests will see a sleek, modern design that starkly contrasts the alternate view.
“When we were asked to work on The Grand Plaza, one of our biggest inspirations were people in the shipyard who were able to manipulate steel as if it were plastic,” said Manku. “Their awe-inspiring craftsmanship inspired us and had us asking ourselves ‘How can we show the bones of the ship?’ Because the bones are so beautiful, you don’t need to put a cover on them.”
Jouin Manku’s influence is also strikingly apparent in the Main Dining Atrium, where they’ve taken the concept of a staircase and turned it into a work of art. Hanging three stories between the flights of stairs, the installation is known as The Pendulum. The Pendulum base moves ever so gently to the rhythms of the ocean to remind guests that they are indeed moving and connected to the sea, even when they cannot see it.
To learn more about Celebrity Edge visit www.celebritycruises.com.au