The superyacht concepts unveiled at last week’s Monaco Yacht Show revealed transformative innovations and hint at future trends the design world should take note of
In the world of yachting, the prestigious Monaco Yacht Show is an annual launchpad for the industry’s latest innovations and biggest trends. The world’s leading shipyards and design studios sail into the French Riviera to showcase their latest projects and collaborations, setting the scene for the coming years.
2022 was no different, and designers pushed the boat out with new ways to live on board and explore the world while introducing fresh approaches to everything from lighting to use of space. Effect Magazine reveals the biggest trendsetting concept designs unveiled at the show and what they could mean for the future of yachting.
Slice: Studio de Voogt
Windows on yachts have been getting larger and larger in recent years as designers attempt to flood living spaces with natural light horizontally. During the event, Dutch shipyard Feadship unveiled a new concept yacht that turns this idea of lighting on its head – and to the skies.
Slice, as its name suggests, is literally sliced in half, enabling natural light to flow from above and penetrate all decks from the top down. Light enters through a long strip of glass which runs all the way from the peak of the bow to the stern at the back of the yacht, brightening up central spaces which would usually require the assistance of manufactured lighting.
At the core lies an impressive light-filled 750-square-foot atrium, circled by cascading balconies. “The brief to the engineer and design team was to challenge the very zeitgeist of typical yacht layouts by investigating natural light and vertical spaces,” the Feadship team reveals. “More specifically, the brief asked for a linear ‘transition from the mountain to the sea’.”
Slice was designed by Netherlands-based Studio de Voogt to “turn the inside out and the outside in”, says lead designer Chris Bottoms, whose fresh outlook is sure to inspire the designs of the future.
Beyond its innovative use of glass and space, Slice taps into another key trend – technology – with its tech-savvy 33-foot-long pool. Designers used data science to define the pool’s shape and placement in order to counter sloshing as the yacht moves through all conditions.
XV67: Winch Design
Explorer yachts are growing in popularity as owners seek out experiential travel options away from the beaten track of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. The 2022 Monaco Yacht Show saw Dutch shipyard Heesen take a side-step from its usual sleek motoryacht designs and dive head-first into the world of exploration with concept yacht XV67.
Setting a new standard in its category – which used to comprise primarily of aggressive-looking refitted ice-breaker support vessels – the 187-foot superyacht, designed by British studio Winch Design, combines “dramatic good looks and rugged capability”.
“This concept design is a springboard for clients’ creativity to tailor the yacht to suit their needs, lifestyle, and the type of adventure they seek,” the studio says. “The XV67 creates a new audience who are looking for experiential travel in a way that combines luxury lifestyle and a sense of adventure.”
“The clean-cut and avant-garde exterior lines make a bold statement: this is a yacht designed to roam the Galapagos islands or even the Arctic Ocean but still look elegant and utterly at home in St Tropez or Portofino. That’s why we call it a cross-over. The new XV67 remains true to our original design intent: to create an exceptionally capable and beautiful bluewater voyager that will inspire owners to venture into new terrain. And turn heads wherever they go.”
Featuring a robust steel hull which can handle all weather conditions and storage for large equipment including tenders and submarines, XV67 proves that it’s possible for a yacht to be sleek, elegant and luxurious while offering all the capabilities needed to traverse the world’s most extreme destinations. Plus, the option of hybrid propulsion makes her more environmentally friendly than your average diesel-powered yacht.
Fenice: Enrico Gobbi
Italian shipyard Tankoa came out fighting with Fenice, a bold yet elegant 223-foot concept superyacht. Described as “a triumph of poise, rhythm and grace”, her dynamic design has been praised for its seamless indoor-outdoor living arrangements and its aerodynamic lines and curves – said to be inspired by the automotive and aeronautical industries.
The talent behind the design is Enrico Gobbi, an architect and yacht designer at Venice-based studio Team for Design, who approached Tankoa with the initial concept and grew so close to the project that the yacht was named after a landmark in Gobbi’s home city, the famous Teatro La Fenice.
“From the very first moment I started sharing my ideas with Tankoa, I knew I was in the right place with the right people. This is a project characterised by exclusive details that only a boutique shipyard like Tankoa can make the most of,” Gobbi says. “Superyacht projects of this size have to be distinctive: born from a blank sheet of paper, developed and built to the highest quality standards which Tankoa has already proven itself able to do.”
The yacht is the epitome of fine Italian artistry and serves as a reminder of the quality, style and creativity that the ‘Made in Italy’ ethos retains. Meanwhile, Enrico Gobbi is fast becoming a name that the design world is closely watching.
The concept yachts revealed at the Monaco Yacht Show demonstrate that good design is not just about creating a comfortable and stylish space. Good design defines the use of the yacht and is fundamental in creating the lifestyle that owners can enjoy. As designers continue to push boundaries, such designs go one step further and inspire the trends of the coming years. From this year’s launches, it’s clear that tides are turning – and these designers are at the forefront.
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