Bringing Renaissance to reality

“Dickie Bannenberg’s father, Jon, had designed a yacht for me way back in 1987 that never got built,” confirms the owner of Renaissance. “About 10 years ago, I hooked up with Dickie, and while my wife and I interviewed other yacht designers, Dickie and Simon [Rowell] best captured our thinking and converted it into a reality. Being able to work with Jon’s son was simply serendipitous.”

Bannenberg & Rowell have designed for children of Jon’s clients – including two yachts and two properties ashore – but this was a different kind of a project.

“It certainly was a full-circle moment,” says Dickie Bannenberg, company leader at Bannenberg & Rowell Design. “In fact, the client still has Jon’s original profile drawing of the rather more compact 42-metre that he designed for him.”

The aim was: “To design and build a 36-passenger, fully certified yacht for the charter market as well as for owner use,” says Andy North, the independent build project manager for Renaissance.

“The client was particularly interested in the facilities on board and, being themselves well-experienced charterers, gave considerable input into the equipment, from the gym and tenders and toys through to the interior and artwork.”

The owner’s brief was informed by how they’d use the yacht when on board along with what charterers might appreciate. The owner’s day starts with the gym, then it’s off to his office, which is adjacent to a fully outfitted business centre that guests or personal assistants can use, before unwinding with reading, sunning and watersports.

“We had a long list of non-negotiables,” says the owner. “A large gym, lots of cabins, high ceilings, lots of places to eat, a very large beach club, lots of entertainment spaces, an outdoor commercial pizza oven, waterproof wristbands that open the cabin doors and have a call button for service, indoor and outdoor cinemas, an ice-classed hull, a business centre, big spa and a private owner’s deck for me and my wife.”

He was also keen to fix challenges experienced on previous yachts, says the owner’s rep, Damian Martin. “The owner is tall, and I think felt on previous charters that more headroom would be appreciated. You certainly won’t feel cramped anywhere on board.”

In early 2017, work began to flesh out and develop the design, taking this sizable wish list into consideration. The owner wanted to ensure there was a thorough description of what he wished to achieve before going out to shipyards for tendering, and he was actively involved in the development of the styling, layout and interior design.

“By the time the build started, the clients knew every inch of the layout by heart and could certainly judge the outcome against the design expectations,” says North.

Built to Passenger Yacht Code and carrying a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate, the full-displacement, ice-classed Renaissance was launched in 2023 by Spanish shipyard Freire, which is known for building complex commercial vessels.

It’s the yard’s second superyacht since delivering 74-metre Naia in 2011. Naval architecture comes from Norwegian ship engineering company Marin Teknikk, which designed the Kleven-built explorer yachts Multiverse and Andromeda.

Renaissance reaps the benefits of a commercial build when it comes to seaworthiness and safety, yet her rugged bones are draped in a stylish superyacht exterior, so there’s no mistaking her for an expedition yacht.

“If one looks at the pure volume on the Marin Teknikk engineering base, it’s an imposing package,” says Simon Rowell, creative director of Bannenberg & Rowell Design, who used overlapping planes on the superstructure and a simple homogeny of angles to fine-tune proportions.

Surfaces of the superstructure were broken up with a subtle change in colour from white to grey, the lowlights working to balance things visually, as do the lighter-toned deck canopy overhangs.

Rowell had been developing this twin atria concept for a while. A smaller version was tried out when planning the 87-metre Lürssen yacht Avantage, but the deck apertures reduced interior living space, so it didn’t go ahead.

“But on a larger yacht, it really worked,” he says. “The drama of a double-height outboard interior elevation is much more impressive to me than a more typical internal galleried atrium.” The bridge-like mezzanine level above holds a “floating” lounge that takes in the sight lines from three sides of the vessel.

The bridge-like mezzanine level holds a “floating” lounge that takes in the sight lines from three sides of the vessel

Also in the saloon, a walkway runs between two rows of vertical, articulating s-shaped screens used as room dividers. The glass screens are embedded with a Sophie Mallebranche bronze-coloured mesh and framed in metal.

“The foiling screens allow the relationship between the three main deck zones – formal dining, main saloon and circulation route – to be changeable and flexible, while also retaining a glamorous central catwalk ‘first look’ experience,” says Rowell.

The screens can close to further separate the dining room and lounge area and provide privacy, or open at an angle to draw the eyes forward towards an elaborate bronze door – another just like it opens onto the mezzanine balcony above.

The main deck and mezzanine lounge are indicative of the approach to have a variety of cosier spaces. One such lounge is the jazz bar, set just forward of the main saloon, which feels like stepping into a glamorous speakeasy adorned in backlit onyx.

“The owner personally selected rare cognacs for the bar and directed the arrangement of framed black-and-white photos of jazz masters on the walls,” says Rowell. The owner’s wife has a background in art and curated all of the artwork seen on board, including in the gallery nook at the foyer to the upper deck guest accommodation.

Bannenberg & Rowell reimagined the typical general arrangement by putting the bridge all the way on the top deck, in lieu of a more traditional sundeck.

This creates an exceptionally lofty viewpoint for the captain and crew, and ensures the owner’s and guests’ privacy as the bridge doesn’t look out directly over any living areas. An adjacent bridge lounge is outfitted with a large TV screen for itinerary briefings.

Other “dedicated” decks include the owner’s deck and spa deck. The owner’s cabin enjoys forwardfacing views and access to its own forward deck with spa tub.

“Usually, you’d find a TV rising up in front of the bed, but they opted against that and have their own private TV lounge,” says Captain Gordon Campbell, pointing to a snug set between the separate his-and-hers bathrooms.

A feather-filled glass table by David Gill found in the TV lounge is just one of the special pieces of furniture in the owner’s suite, along with the sideboard by Hoeller.

The owner is passionate about fitness, so a fully outfitted gym was a priority part of the spa deck. Carved limestone walls and recessed floor lighting in the spa entryway welcome guests into this realm of relaxation.

The owner’s brief for “the best spa” included having proper plunge pools (both hot and cold) along with a hammam, sauna, multiple treatment rooms and a hair and beauty salon.

Many of the amenities on board were chosen with charterers in mind, from the pizza oven and sushi bar on the aft main deck, to the party set-up on the aft bridge deck, which has the largest al fresco dining on board seating 20, a barbecue, DJ booth and speakers.

“It’s not that the owner is a big partier,” the captain says, “but we want charterers to be able to bring a DJ and fully enjoy.”

From the master to the main saloon, the interior is a study in earthy tones. The decor is interesting yet subtle enough to appeal to a wide range of guests. But in the guest cabins – which are themed after major cities and yachting locales from Rome to Miami and Monaco to Capri – further details are layered in to match the destination, whether it’s a vibrant throw pillow in Rio or a Grecian vase in Mykonos. The owner wanted guests to have equitable accommodation, and nearly all the cabins are as big as a VIP.

Forward interconnecting cabins also give the option to create suites for dual charterers. Notably, most of the cabins have doors that open out onto the side deck.

“These exterior balconies not only offer a way to extend a guest’s personal environment, they also create superb full-height windows,” says Rowell. “The whole guest experience feels generous and airy.”

The yacht’s 18-metre beam is certainly apparent throughout the guest accommodation. “The corridors are big, and that comes from the fact that we are a passenger vessel as well,” says Captain Campbell. Bronze and leather handrails line the guest corridors, a nod to her class regulation requirements.

“I think if one is not careful the code will design the yacht,” says Rowell. “But we start from a sensible scheme, and then work very closely with shipyard, project managers and experienced outfitters to deliver what we feel is an interior without compromise.”

The phrase “without compromise” could be the mantra for Renaissance as a whole. Within her capacious volume and vast deck spaces, the owner and his team have managed to create a yacht that has everything that he as well as any charter client could desire. As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait.

First published in the July 2024 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.