Iconic interiors: Superyacht designs that made waves

What makes an icon? When it comes to yacht interiors, it might not always be what you’d expect. There are the obvious head-turners and there are the yachts that stand the test of time. Among all these we find the rare icons, the ones that set the bar, that broke the mould, that tested new ground. Some of these hold up today, while some we look back on with a what-were-they-thinking arch of an eyebrow, but there is no denying they define an era. From glamorous to garish and daring to boldly discreet, each of these yachts is a symbol of their time.

Delphine

Built for automobile pioneer Horace Dodge and named after his daughter, Delphine was America’s largest steamship yacht, at 78.5 metres. She defined early 1920s glamour, with a smoking lounge and a pipe organ for entertainment in an interior that made her suitable as the flagship for Admiral Ernest King, commander in chief of the US Fleet during the Second World War.

Delphine is also an icon of restoration. She caught fire and sank in New York in 1926 and the family salvaged and restored her to as-new condition. She then ran aground in 1940 and was repaired. Finally, in 1997, she was sold for scrap and underwent a six-year, $60 million restoration, pictured here. Today she’s the only yacht of the era with her original steam engines in service.

Today, copious amounts of glazing is de rigueur, but it wasn’t always the way. A trailblazer in the arena of floor-to-ceiling, back-to-back windows, Azzurra II, designed by Gerhard Gilgenast, was truly pioneering. The 47.5 metre superyacht’s upper deck master suite has 21 large windows boasting panoramic views, while floor-to-ceiling windows in the upper saloon bring in huge amounts of light.

This gave a stunning spaciousness to the cream coloured, white leather interior, with a fittingly 1980s mirrored ceiling, which helped to open the space further. It was a breakthrough boat for interior designer Paola Smith and its high-glam interior style, with gold and lacquered furniture, defined styling for a decade.

A design ethos of understated beauty is what made this 72.5 metre yacht, launched as Coral Island, stand out. Interiors were by Jon Bannenberg to an owner’s brief that specifically forbade opulent marble, gold or bling.

Coral Ocean is credited as one of the first yachts to have this “casual elegant” motif, which is highlighted by myriad tribal details and African art and distressed furniture surfaces. It also featured a two-level master suite with a walk-in shower that begins on one deck and ends on another. While Coral Island was seen by only a handful of people until recently, enough details leaked out over the years to influence others in the style that has become today’s “beach chic”.

A stark, militaristic exterior – trailblazing in itself – required a clean yet bold interior design. Marco Zanini created a Bauhaus-inspired interior for 70.7 metre Skat that called for simplicity, so its design eschewed clutter and superfluous elements.

Far from a traditional yacht interior, Skat favoured open spaces, fewer pieces of furniture and no heavy woods, though colourful furnishings and original Lichtenstein and Vasarely artworks meant it was far from dull.

Despite her name, Ice’s interior is far from cold. The concept was purity and environmentally friendly, and – while not an interior item – she was one of the first yachts to be fitted with Azipods. Terry Disdale’s interior for the 90.1 metre explorer yacht (ex-Air) is a study in modernism, which adheres to balance, clean lines and intentional décor choices.

The focus is on modernism and space over luxurious details and only a few different interior materials are used throughout the yacht. This sets the stage for yacht interiors to serve as a backdrop for the owner’s collection of modern art. Even the bathrooms have an artistic feel, the enormous baths were carved from limestone blocks.

Most yachts feature works of art, but then you have 53.8 metre Sea Force One, of which the entire interior seems to be an immersive art experience with modern works and light installations at every turn.

Even a decade after her launch, she still sets the bar in terms of art-heavy – and certainly unique – interiors. It might not be surprising that she also makes an ultimate party yacht, which was also part of the brief. This bold atmosphere, with lots of lighting and AV effects, heavily influenced future yachts such as Solandge.

The unconventional exterior of the ultra-iconic 119 metre Motor Yacht A belies the elegance of the interior, which designer Philippe Starck called “opulent”. While other yachts succeeded by blending interior and exterior spaces, Motor Yacht A clearly divides the two.

White furnishings play well off the open-plan design, which makes the limited interior living areas seem more abundant. With A it’s all about visual impact. If there had been no A, there would have been no Predator, no Yas and no Venus.

This award-winning 46 metre represents the best of the trend in “modern classics” – reimagining the elegance of 1920s yachting with the technology of today and an affection for the long, low profile, fantail stern and external brightwork associated with classic yachts.

Is there anything as charming as a fantail stern with overhanging deck above, as witnessed as recently as 2017 with the launch of Soprano? Sycara IV has been sold and renamed Nadan.

The interior of Sycara IV, by Ken Freivokh, is a nod to this bygone era, warmed by madrona burl wall panels with inlaid macassar ebony. Family-style cruising yachts of this compact size have been a recurring theme since the 2008’s global financial crisis.

56 metre sailing yacht Panthalassa showcased a remarkable interior by Foster & Partners with flowing, highly architecturally inspired shapes and furnishings.

She also showcased an abundant use of glass and a showstopper of a central oval staircase that connects all three decks. Perhaps the biggest impact with this interior is that it opened up the builder to working with outside architects, such as the famed Norman Foster, who tugged the GA into new usefulness.

Yachting design newcomer CG Design was able to bring fresh eyes to 83.5 metre Savannah, creating an unusual layout with immense dimensions and an open main deck surrounded by sliding curved glass, leading to the pool on the same level.

In fact, everything on this boat is curved – except the plumb bow. She’s equally ground-breaking for her cosier spaces, such as the Nemo room, that connects guests to the sea, and for a spectacular catwalk connecting two saloons on her upper deck.