5 yacht designers discuss the evolution of lifestyle rooms

From superyacht gyms and spas to cinemas and nightclubs, many rooms on modern superyachts are designed around the owner’s passions and the way they choose to live their life. As part of the new Boat International Media bookazine Futureyachts, we asked some of the industry’s best-connected individuals to predict where this trend for lifestyle-specific rooms will go next.

Pascale Reymond of Reymond Langton Design argues that the market for these specialist rooms is principally above the 80 metre mark. “You can do special feature rooms on yachts under 65 metres, particularly a superyacht spa and an underwater room, and still have six suites, but the market is well above the 80 metre category.

“We have designed a host of fun, unusual special-purpose rooms on the new 98 metre Abeking & Rasmussen yacht Aviva, such as an indoor paddle tennis court,” she reveals.

French naval architect Jean-Jacques Coste says lifestyle rooms add romance to the yachting experience and make owners more likely to spend time on board. “On my own yacht I’d want to have an art gallery or a nice beach club,” he explains. “It creates interest and a good way to live in communion with the sea. If you feel good and at home on your boat, you don’t want to leave.”

“If you are talking about new designs, it’s going to come from new lifestyles, new ways of using boats,” explains Dickie Bannenberg of Bannenberg & Rowell.

And the new ways owners want to use their boats — exploration or simply seeking out the last inch of privacy — is already influencing design, says co-founder Simon Rowell. “Even now, you see much more contemporary interiors, much more of a connection with the water and with the exterior decks.”

However, they caution against giving any space over entirely to any one use, which risks limiting future flexibility. This applies not just to lifestyle rooms but also for fairly standard features like dining saloons. Should they be given the heave-ho altogether? “That’s not for us to say,” says Bannenberg diplomatically. “But do you really need that sort of banquet space for 14 people?”

“Lifestyle-specific rooms — from casinos to underwater viewing rooms to other ideas such as snow rooms, meditation spaces, art galleries or anything designed to meet an owner’s particular needs — have all featured in my designs,” reveals yacht designer Tim Heywood. “In fact, our first cryotherapy room is in production, and it won’t be the last. All our lives have been affected by technology and medical science, so these features will eventually find their way into the yacht world and influence design.”

“Yachting has always been a pastime, but now more things are competing for owners’ free time,” argues Andrew Winch, founder of Winch Design. “Some owners today use their yachts as research vessels for deep-sea exploration while others use their yacht as a means of escape and a place to relax. Regardless of how they use their boats, there is an increased demand for private spaces on yachts or complete penthouse decks where owners want to find secluded spots to enjoy time with family and friends. Time and space are the key luxuries on board.”