A recent news article published in the Riviera states that Iona and Arvia: creating something new.
London and Prague-based international architecture
London and Prague-based international architecture and interior design practice Jestico + Whiles scooped interior designer contracts for P&O Cruises’ Iona and Arvia because it brought a fresh perspective.
Jestico + Whiles associate director Jennifer de Vere-Hopkins tells Passenger Ship Interior & Refurbishment Review, “We were recommended to P&O Cruises, and they came to us because we are outsiders [to the cruise industry]. They wanted to work with a hospitality designer that could give fresh ideas and a new perspective.”
The contract was a great positive for Jestico + Whiles, with Ms de Vere-Hopkins commenting, “It is about bringing something new – that is what drives us as designers, so for us it was an amazing prospect to enter a new sphere of design and we are looking to build on that, but not repeat ourselves.”
Mandarin Oriental Palace
Within the hospitality sector, the firm’s designs range from the interiors of large hotels to one-off restaurants and bars. Projects include the Mandarin Oriental Palace, Lucerne and W Hotel Edinburgh.
Ms de Vere-Hopkins singles out how the company stands out, “For us, the idea of architecture, atmosphere and functionality coming together is what makes us tick. Interiors are often focused on materials and fabrics, but we also like to think about the architecture of the space, sometimes with dramatic results in mind.”
This trio of themes was applied to both Iona and Arvia.
Jestico + Whiles was one of three firms employed to design the interiors of the two ships. The company designed the Grand Atrium and many of the food and beverage areas.
The three-story Grand Atrium of Iona, which joined the P&O Cruises fleet last August, features a curving staircase made from Italian marble, with a filigree silver serpentine balustrade.
Speaking about this design, Ms de Vere-Hopkins says, “One of our drivers was wanting to push the envelope. We started by looking at opportunities for flow and sense of movement within the rectangular structural grid.”
She adds, “The space is large, but it still feels quite intimate in places. There are areas to gather in larger groups and others with a sense of intimacy at a remove from the bar or entertainment. The bar on each desk of the atrium, as well as the staircase, acts as an anchor point.”
West End-quality lighting and sound
There are areas in the atrium that act as stages for pop-up performances and entertainment. These have West End-quality lighting and sound to support the performances. Ms de Vere-Hopkins comments, “The space has to work hard through the day, and you have to think of it at every level of design – the overall experience and then down to the detail.”
Venues designed by Jestico + Whiles include a new gastropub concept The Keel & Cow, wine bar The Glasshouse, the Gary Barlow music venue The 710 Club and Anderson’s, a gin bar.
Ms de Vere-Hopkins says, “Salcombe Distilling Co makes artisan gin in Devon and has collaborated with P&O Cruises on Marabelle Gin, which is inspired by the isle of Iona. This bar is en route from the atrium to the main dining rooms, and in contrast to the atrium, has a cosy feeling with winged back chairs and a fireplace as well as a library. It has a moodier atmosphere with a lot of richness to the materials we selected.”
Moving to P&O Cruises’ Arvia, which is due to be delivered December, while it has the same platform as Iona, Jestico + Whiles was tasked with making areas look different to the first ship. Explaining one of the main differences, Ms de Vere-Hopkins says, “P&O Cruise’s brief was to accommodate the pop-up entertainment right in the centre of the atrium, rather than starboard like Iona. So, the lighting and sound is focused on the centre space with the redesigned staircase as a backdrop and a chandelier above.
“We want people to dance in the centre and we had an interesting design driver as you can’t dance on stone [which is in the Iona’s Grand Atrium]. We also set out to bring in a more natural feel to Arvia with wood, which is a perfect surface for dancing and one of the new design features is a ripple of wood across the floor.”
The idea of celebration
The designer incorporated the idea of celebration, dancing and performance with the metallic ribbon artwork adorning the stair edges inspired by the silks used in the aerial performances that will take place there.
Singling out the contrast between Arvia and Iona, Ms de Vere-Hopkins says, “Arvia has a richer look, with bronze and warm wood tones, whereas Iona is much more about fresh white marble and classic maritime, polished chrome-style metals.”
Another contrast is the lighting used in the two grand atriums. In Iona, rather than a chandelier, the staircase itself shimmers and reflects light in the way a chandelier would. But for Arvia, P&O Cruises wanted a chandelier to set it apart from its sister ship. Ms de Vere-Hopkins says, “We had to think about how to do this without the space seeming too formal where people won’t feel comfortable dancing. Therefore, we proposed a modern chandelier made with hundreds of trumpet-shaped metal elements that follow the contours of the ceiling and create a twinkling effect. The idea for this new design was to create a sense of celebration and movement, balancing each element of design and considering the play of light on the different surfaces.”
She sums up on Arvia, “We wanted to do something equally good to Iona, but which says something different about who P&O Cruises are now and in the future. It has been an amazing experience, and we continue to learn a huge amount in designing cruise ship interiors.”
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Source: Platts
