Superyacht designers should strive to create more flexible yachts to cater for modern lifestyles, two architectural firms have said.
Speaking at the BOAT International Superyacht Design Festival, architectural firms Bonetti/ Kozerski Architecture and Lissoni & Partners reflected on how they had disrupted traditional superyacht design.
Bonetti/ Kozerski Architecture penned the interior of the Benetti Oasis 40m, while founder of Lissoni & Partners, Piero Lissoni, was appointed in-house art director at Sanlorenzo in 2018. The role has seen him work on the Italian builder’s SX series, as well as other models.
By injecting a pared back, more minimalist style, the studios have created yachts better suited for modern needs, they said.
Enrico Bonetti said his outside industry viewpoint had been integral in creating a “simpler” and “less flashy” superyacht in the Benetti Oasis 40m.
“For us, the advantage was that we weren’t part of [the superyacht design world], we didn’t have any pre-existing baggage. We tried to make the space flow, lots of glass, keep it simple, keep it pleasant.”
The way people live has changed, he added, arguing that superyacht design should adapt accordingly.
Co-founder Dom Kozerski agreed: “It shouldn’t just be a series of rooms stacking up.”
Bonetti added: “The boats were designed like this because people used to live in a different way - they would do something specific in a specific room. Now people live in a different way so the space should be different – it should be much more flexible.”
Piero Lissoni agreed, adding that he aimed to be “provocative”.
“I’m a little bit afraid when boats are becoming full of cabins and spaces,” he said. “For us structurally we try to be a little big simpler. I like to be provocative – to become a nightmare for an engineer is a pleasure.”
However, he added, that it was crucial for a team to pull together to find “the best solution for the best boat and best floating house.”
“The most crucial point is that we are a team, each decision, each detail – we are a team.”