Atlantik Show Lounge – Phoenix Reisen – MS Amera
Submitted by: Tamlyn Seeliger
Lead Designer: Tamlyn Seeliger
Studio: CUBIK3 INNENARCHITEKTEN GmbH
Outfitter: HB Interior GmbH
Shipyard: Phoenix Reisen
Completion Date: 19/05/2026
How do you completely transform a cruise ship lounge without being able to move the structure that defines it?
This was the challenge behind the 2025 renovation of the Atlantik Show Lounge on board MS Amera. Beneath the existing banquette seating was a substantial steel substructure that could not be removed, while the main ceiling structure was equally fixed. Starting again was simply not an option.
Instead, we turned the constraints into the foundation for a new design.
The original lounge was visually dense, with curved banquettes, loose furniture and heavy patterned carpet obscuring the windows on both sides of the ship. Our first move was to reclaim these views. Removing the sofas opened the space, allowing natural light and the changing seascape to become part of the interior experience.
The existing banquettes and chairs were completely reupholstered in a bold abstract fabric, giving them a new identity. This graphic language was carried through into a bespoke carpet design, creating a cohesive relationship between furniture and floor.
We also replaced the original loose tables with bespoke fixed tables, designed specifically around the existing steel structure. Every position had to be precisely coordinated to ensure secure fixing while maintaining comfortable passenger circulation.
This level of coordination continued through the carpet installation. Table bases, chair fixings and structural connection points all had to align precisely with the carpet pattern and the steelwork beneath. Design, engineering, furniture manufacture and installation therefore had to be coordinated as one integrated process.
The result is a dramatic transformation achieved without fundamentally altering the existing structure: a lounge that feels lighter, more open, more contemporary and far more connected to the sea.
The Atlantik Show Lounge demonstrates how intelligent design can turn the limitations of refurbishment into an opportunity – creating an entirely new experience without starting again.
