Embraer's Newest $80 Million Private Jet Is Inspired by Art Deco Designs

Art Deco is a design style we're accustomed to seeing in skyscrapers, such as the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building , or century-old bars and restaurants like Le Dôme Café in Paris. The early 20th-century motif has never really been associated with airplanes. That is until now.

The Manhattan , Embraer's latest private jet concept, welcomes its passengers with all of the deep mahogany wood panels, brass and gold trim, and jewel hues that marked the Art Deco period of the 1920s and '30s. "The idea for an Art Deco-inspired private jet first started with a friend of mine who was a big fan of the SS Normandie ocean liner from the early 1930s," says Jay Beaver, Embraer's VP of Interior Design. "I started to closely study the ship and saw how it was basically an opulent, elegant floating museum. I thought, my goodness, wouldn’t it be incredible to have a private jet designed with that level of intricacy, detail, and sophistication and turn it into a flying piece of art?"

The Manhattan is divided into five sections, with the entraining areas occupying the first three zones, and the traditional sitting and dining areas toward the back of the aircraft. "I wanted to disrupt what makes a traditional airplane ride boring or unpleasant. So much of flying is spent hurrying to your seat and sitting down and staying seated until you arrive at your destination. My goal was to ensure we could make this a more enjoyable experience," says Beaver. He worked with Eddie Sotto , a designer with vast experience in Art Deco motifs, to ensure every part of the aircraft was smartly laid out. That means brass and copper cutouts of skyscrapers and bridges adorning some walls of the aircraft.

Beaver wanted to ensure that the entertaining spaces drew people in through its layout and design. "Our goal was to flip the grind of flying into an experience one doesn't want to end. The idea was to give everyone an excuse to stand up and hang out. So we dedicated three zones exclusively to that idea." The team at Embraer did this by including not only elegant sofas to sit on but also a bar that allows passengers to feel as if they are seated in an establishment, with the added value of looking out a window at 36,000 feet.

The cabin includes details one doesn't usually associate with the interior of a private jet, such as Jean-Michel Frank-inpired starburst patterns. "We've added elements such as mohair and lambskin to the interior, as well as polycarbonate cast glass faces, which mimic the appearance of crystal, a material too heavy to use on airplanes," says Beaver.

Ultimately, Beaver and his design team at Embraer wanted to bring back the reasons passengers used to dress up to fly. "Why did people dress up to get on a Pan Am Clipper in the late 1930s? It was elegant, a superior way of living, and gave people something to aspire to. That's what we are hoping to do with this private jet," explains Beaver. The Manhattan would take about 24 months to create, and anywhere from $60 to $80 million to buy. Passengers, however, can also charter the plane for any extended period of time as well.