By
Rebecca Gibson |
Hospitality design company Richmond International has created the interiors for P&O Cruises’ newbuild Britannia, which will debut in March 2015.
For the first time, P&O has handed responsibility for every aspect of its cabins, suites and public areas to one design agency.
Influenced by P&O’s naval heritage, Richmond has used shapes, space and soft furnishings to create a quintessentially British theme throughout the ship. Working in collaboration with Maurice Brill Lighting Design, Richmond has also used lighting to enhance the interior design elements and give depth to all the spaces.
“As a British company it has been an honour to have worked with P&O Cruises on the interior of the company’s, and this country’s, largest and most contemporary ship,” said Terry McGillicuddy, director of Richmond. “British culture vastly influences the design of Britannia with a modern, yet classic, interior that reflects British elegance and incorporates nautical tradition.”
Using its hotel design experience, Richmond created a three-tier atrium, which is significantly larger than the Atrium space on existing P&O ships. Designed with a nautical blue and cream colour palette and carpet design reminiscent of a traditional British garden maze, the atrium features a Market Café with a patisserie from Eric Lanlard, delicatessen and gelateria. It also offers the Blue Bar, shops, a coffee bar, and wine expert Olly Smith's The Glass House wine bar.
The atrium’s centrepiece is a ‘Star Burst’ lighting sculpture that stretches all three decks and was inspired by the star constellations used as historical naval references.
Richmond, which was previously involved in the successful relocation of the spa area to the lower Atrium deck on P&O’s Royal Princess, has also designed Britannia’s Oasis Spa. The largest of all P&O’s spa facilities, the Oasis Spa features a central plunge pool, treatment rooms, experience showers and waterbeds, the line’s first Spa Shop and Oasis Villa for couples and groups, and a VIP open-air deck area named The Retreat.
The company also reconfigured the traditional layout of the all-day restaurant Horizon and the three main dining rooms – Peninsular, Oriental and Meridian – to create more intimate areas. The Epicurean Restaurant has been designed with a soft cream palette and highlights of colour and metallic detailing.
In Sindu, an Indian restaurant created by Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, Richmond has created smaller spaces, using decorative lighting, textured screens, and a colour palette inspired by nature and spices to create a more private dining experience for customers.
Meanwhile, the line’s first Cookery Club, developed in association with celebrity chef James Martin, has been fitted with 12 cooking stations and graphic blackboards featuring menus and food illustrations.
The Crows Nest observation bar emulates traditional, nautical décor with timber panelling, historical P&O memorabilia, and combination of seating, including high wingback chairs.
Britannia’s Crystal Room show lounge features a palette of golds and pale blues, complemented by floral decoration, which is replicated in the balustrades. To compensate for the lack of available height and create the illusion of extra volume, Richmond has coffered the ceiling, added mirrored elements and introduced focused lighting.
Richmond also worked on the 1,800 cabins and suites, redesigning the layout to maximise the available space and decorating them with a green and blue palette. All cabins feature modern technology and exclusive artwork by selected British artists, while each outward-facing cabin has a balcony, while all cabins feature exclusive artworks by selected British artists.