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Commandant Charcot
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Commandant Charcot

Client Compagnie Ponant
Architect Jean-Philippe Nuel / Jean-Michel Wilmotte
On September 28, 2021, Ponant inaugurated its high polar exploration vessel, the 13th in its fleet.

This high-exploration vessel, destined to criss-cross the farthest reaches of the Arctic and Antarctic seas, not only welcomes 245 passengers in 123 cabins - in optimal conditions of comfort - but also makes itself available to the scientific community, thus contributing to the global effort to preserve the poles and oceans.

To imagine and design this exceptional and atypical interior, two great names in interior architecture were called upon: Jean-Philippe Nuel and Jean-Michel Wilmotte.
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Jean-Philippe Nuel designed the furnishings for the bedrooms, lounges and the gourmet restaurant at Commandant Charcot.

To furnish the main lounge, he worked on a new version of the Soufflot range, an armchair and settee that he designed in 2019 for Ligne Roset Contract, as part of the transformation of the former Hôtel Dieu de Lyon into an Intercontinental hotel.

Adapted to the specific environment of Commandant Charcot, 56 Soufflot armchairs (high and low back) and 5 king size settees have been customised in new dimensions.

For the ship's gourmet restaurant, Jean-Philippe Nuel designed a specific chair, the design of which is in keeping with the spirit of Commandant Charcot. This chair required a particularly demanding development, calling for several technical challenges for its creation.

The main challenge was to create a seat and a back and assemble them on a base using invisible connecting pieces. To meet the resistance tests for a specific use in catering, this base, in stained beech, required the study of reinforcements.

In addition, to adapt to the rounded shapes of the chair and keep the stretched effect intended by Jean-Philippe Nuel, the fabric required specific development.

Finally, a detail that is not insignificant: the upholstery, underneath the seat, which enhances the usually invisible parts of a chair.

For this project and equipments, Ponant, Jean-Philippe Nuel and Ligne Roset received the “ambassador” award from the French Furniture Contract Awards 2021.

Photos © Gilles Trillard

Image ARMCHAIR

Soufflot Armchair

  • 40 fabrics
  • 713 Colors