He'll oversee the entire interior design process for the 3,000-berth ship, Cunard's first newbuild in 12 years. It will be the 249th vessel to sail under the Cunard flag.
'The name Cunard is obviously magical and I’m very excited to be involved in this project,' Tihany said. 'If you look at the history of Cunard, it has always been a forward-looking brand. It has a classic image but actually each ship has been innovative for its period. We want to continue this tradition and move the brand forward with the creation of this exciting and spectacularly beautiful new ship.'
Lighter, more contemporary feel
Tihany said passengers can expect a 'much lighter, contemporary feel, but crucially it will still feel like a Cunard ship and Cunard’s loyal guests will feel very at home. The new ship will celebrate Cunard’s British heritage but with a whisper, not a shout. Everything a guest expects to see on a Cunard ship will be there, but in a different way to the other three [ocean liner Queen Mary 2 and sister vessels Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria].'
The New York-based Tihany has led the way in restaurant design, creating signature restaurant interiors for such culinary stars as Thomas Keller and Heston Blumenthal. He and his team are currently working on the new ship’s dining areas.
Tihany gained fame by creating spaces for luxurious and iconic hotels, restaurants and resorts, including The Beverly Hills Hotel, Belmond Hotel Cipriani and The Oberoi New Delhi.
Cruise work began with Celebrity Solstice
His first foray into cruise ship design produced the two-level Grand Epernay dining room, the classic Tuscan Grille steak house and the casual Oceanview Café and Grill for 2008's Celebrity Solstice.
He went on to be paired with cruise ship design icon Bjørn Storbraaten of YSA Design for Holland America Line's Pinnacle-class ships, with Koningsdam kicking off the series in 2016 and sister Nieuw Statendam now nearing completion.
In his first solo cruise ship effort, Tihany created the interiors for late 2016's Seabourn Encore, initiating a new, larger class for Seabourn, and its sister, this year's Seabourn Ovation.
Costa Cruises also appointed Tihany as creative director for the LNG-powered newbuild Costa Smeralda in 2019 and what was to be a 2020 sister ship, now scheduled for 2021.
Construction at Fincantieri's Monfalcone
The name for Cunard's 113,000gt newbuild hasn't been announced. It will be built at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard.
'Adam has been a friend of Cunard for many years, and we look forward to his creative leadership and sharing more designs as they come to life,' said Josh Leibowitz, SVP, Cunard North America.
