The 289m private residence yacht Njord will be built at German shipyard Meyer Werft with a target delivery of 2025, it has been announced.
The project, which was revealed by Ocean Residences Development (ORD) last year, will be built to the "strictest" environmental regulations and feature "state-of-the-art dual-fuel engines", batteries for hybrid operation, heat recovery systems and advanced power management systems. The engines and fuel tanks will also be suitable for future fuels.
"We are fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with Meyer Werft, a company that has kept its shipbuilding on course for 226 years", said ORD chief executive Kristian Stensby. He described the shipyard as "the world leader in building innovative and complex passenger vessels with a stellar reputation for exceptional quality, precision and on-time deliveries."
“Our company is proud to embark on building the finest green ship ever built," added shipyard owner Bernard Meyer.
Billed as the "world's largest private residence yacht", Njord is named after the god of the seas and winds of Norse mythology. The 289 metre vessel contains 117 private residences and a 500 square metre inflatable marina at the stern of the vessel, which features a number of foldout platforms.
Spread across a total of 12 decks, Njord will feature a beam of 33.5 metres and a massive 81,000GT interior. Accommodation on board will be split across 118 residences, which are available to buy, as well as 16 guest and butler suites. Available in 20 different configurations, these residences will range from two to six-bedroom apartments spread across 116 to 800 square metres.
Njord has been designed by a team of engineers, naval architects and interior and exterior designers, including legendary superyacht designer Espen Øino, who has penned the exterior of the project, and naval architect Foreship OY. ORD's chief designer Jean Stutzman will oversee the interior design, which will be created by Jean-Michel Gathy of Malaysian design studio Denniston and Italian design studio FM Architettura. Both studios will be responsible for designing the vessel's top private residences and penthouses.
The interior design of the luxury residences is described as “homely, comfortable, smart casual and contemporary”. There are plenty of options for residents to customise their apartments to their tastes, choosing from a range of premium features, such as walk-in wine cellars, cheese rooms, humidors, safe rooms, private gyms, saunas and steam rooms.
Gathy’s designs will be playful, while a “sense of ease and lightness” will combine “layers of creativity” to create “cosiness, energy” and “comfort”.
"Everything is in the details and ultimately, I want to create a shelter, a safe haven, where those who choose to live onboard Njord can close their eyes and let the day work them, instead of them working the day," Gathy said.
FM Architettura's designs meanwhile have been inspired by "earth, air, wind and fire", according to studio co-founder Francesca Muzio.
The "earth" aspect will be found throughout the wood used on board, "be it in the bespoke furniture, flooring or structural partitions", Muzio said. The air will be found in the "lightness" of the interiors, specifically in the "handmade carpets and bespoke woven textiles" which will "lead the eye around the space."
The "fire" will be found in the "bespoke bronze furniture, glass or the lighting", which will "punctuate the rooms". "Water" meanwhile is the "all-important element", Muzio said, "to ensure the flow and balance of the design comes together in its entirety, as these are homes which must have a sense of place.”
Dubbed the “next generation of private superyacht”, Njord “will be the home to an exclusive community of like-minded individuals who relish travel and sharing extraordinary experiences”, ORD said.
To this end, the vessel will be equipped to undertake scientific and oceanographic research during its annual circumnavigation of the globe. Each year, it will journey to some of the most remote and “culturally unique” places on earth.
Supporting a range of philanthropic missions, charities and causes, Njord will collect environmental and marine data from around the world which will be made available to international research laboratories.
The vessel will be equipped for the job, with a fully fitted oceanographic research laboratory staffed by expert scientists. Elsewhere, the vessel will feature a gyroscopic telescope, which will scan the sky at night, while drones will monitor the atmosphere.
Underwater drones, meanwhile, together with Njord’s two submersibles, will map the ocean floor using multi-beam echo sounders to identify shipwrecks and sea bed features. Njord will also have two eight-seat, Airbus ACH 160 helicopters with a range of 400 nautical miles. These will be used exclusively by owners and guests.
Elsewhere, Njord will boast an impressive list of luxury amenities including multiple outdoor terraces, a sundeck, two outdoor pools, an indoor hydro pool, extensive wellness facilities and a nightclub and jazz lounge. A telescope observatory lounge will sit on the top deck.