When you think of the grand ocean liners in Cunard's fleet, you no doubt conjure images of the gorgeous sweeping staircase that greets you upon arrival. The cruise line's forthcoming Queen Elizabeth will be no different and that sweeping staircase and central arched space challenged interior designers to find just the right piece of art to accent this important area of the ship."We needed to fill that space with a decorative screen which would not just be dramatic, a 'wow' factor in an area already full of 'wow', but which would also reflect our emphasis on traditional and sumptuous materials," noted Cunard's president and managing director, Peter Shanks.
"After much thought and exploratory work, it was decided to commission a 5.6-metre (18 ft 6 in) high marquetry panel depicting the original Queen Elizabeth, an Art Deco icon, using a variety of natural woods from around the world.
To put this in perspective, the wood panel will span two-and-a-half decks and is being constructed of nine panels that include Madrona, Indian ebony, American walnut, grey ripple sycamore, burr ash, bird's eye maple, satin walnut, ash, burr walnut, and Macassar ebony.
David Lindley, chairman of Lindley's, was proud to take on this project and said, "Though we have made fittings for luxury yachts in the past, this is the first sea-going work we have done on this scale - it is certainly the largest screen we have ever made - but it was a commission I was delighted to accept. I recall my father saying the interior design on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 made one proud to be British, so I am hoping our achievement on the new Queen Elizabeth will make him—and others—equally proud."
Queen Elizabeth's maiden voyage embarks on October 12,2010 from Southampton, England.
For more information, talk with your travel agent or contact Cunard.
—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com
Artwork image courtesy of Cunard
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