Concept yachts: Friend or foe?

Giant swans and moon pools may sound like props in a science fiction movie, but these are very real concepts imagined by some of the world’s most innovative superyacht designers. Concept yachts often come with shock factor as designers allow their imaginations to run free without considering the technical requirements of a shipyard build. For better or worse, the majority of designs never come to fruition, leading many to beg the question: Who are the designs for and what is their purpose?

Words Rachel Ingram

FG Concept designed by Feadship. Honeycomb view

The yachting industry has a love-hate relationship with concept yachts. Amid the global pandemic, a raft of abstract designs washed ashore as designers made the most of lockdown and got creative. The most controversial was undoubtedly Avanguardia by Lazzarini Design Studio; constructed in the silhouette of a swan, the superyacht’s “neck” bends down to touch the water, and the “head” detaches and transforms into a tender.

It’s a design that was five years in the making, admits the Italian studio’s founder Pierpaolo Lazzarini. And while it works in theory, bringing the swan to life will require the skills of an innovative shipyard.

Avanguardia by Lazzarini Design Studio

Avanguardia by Lazzarini Design Studio

“If somebody says, ‘No, this is too difficult,’ that makes the yacht builder happy.”

“The yacht builder is always looking for a new challenge,” says Lazzarini. “In the nautical world, if somebody says, ‘No, this is too difficult,’ that makes the yacht builder happy; to create something that nobody else has done before.”

Shipyards have also caught the concept bug. Dutch builder Feadship unveiled a series of concept yachts in the past year taken from its design team’s formerly secret archives. Unlike Lazzarini’s work, each Feadship concept is based on disruptive, future-oriented technologies presently available to its team.

“What makes a Feadship future concept stand out is the fact that we are actually able to build them,” says Farouk Nefzi, CMO at Feadship. “The idea is to gauge reactions to different radical designs and innovations that might be used as a showcase for a client’s yacht design. A good example is the famed Nemo lounge on SAVANNAH, which was first shown in a concept called Eon.”

Feadship’s latest series unveiled a number of incredible designs illustrating pioneering ideas. The moon pool on ESCAPE – a seawater pool from where you can swim directly into the ocean, launch a submersible or create a safe sealed off swimming area – carries real wow factor. Other examples include the pop-up ping pong table as seen on Project FG and a striking 213-foot pool on the hull of the all-aluminum sports yacht concept named Project 3073.

Pop-up ping pong table as seen on Project FG designed by Feadship

Nefzi’s hope is that these concepts will inspire the future of yacht design: “Our concepts have been remarkably prescient in foreseeing a growing interest among owners in aspects such as glass construction (X-STREAM), hybrid propulsion (F-STREAM), low fuel consumption (BREATHE), eco-friendly design (AEON), facilities for younger owners (QI), the desire for privacy (RELATIVITY) and the art of entertainment (ROYALE).”

It’s a mindset shared by other industry leaders including Netherlands-based shipyard Oceanco, which used its 2021 concept KAIROS to test reactions to sustainable solutions. Created as part of Oceanco’s NXT initiative, which sets sustainability benchmarks for the industry, KAIROS aims to “recalibrate yacht design” through its E-Hybrid propulsion system using batteries as the primary source of energy. It’s hoped that by demonstrating state-of-the-art technology through concepts, owners and shipyards will gain the confidence to actualize and normalize such features.

That said, there are some designers who play the concept game to inspire innovation on a purely creative level. Take Gresham Yacht Design, creator of the Hydrosphere, a glass lift that emerges from the bottom of a superyacht to create a 360-degree observation deck.

“By demonstrating state-of-the-art technology through concepts, owners and shipyards will gain confidence.”

The greenhouse in FG Concept designed by Feadship

Kairos designed by Oceanco

Main salon designed by Gresham Yacht Design

“From science buffs to tech-savvy entrepreneurs, anyone who loves the sea and wants to immerse themselves in their environment will be attracted to the Hydrosphere,” says founder Steve Gresham. “More often than not, advances that push boundaries are brought into reality by visionary clients who aren’t scared of new and bold ideas.”

“Concepts are an important exercise to push the realms of possibility and to challenge the market on what could be done,” he adds. “As a studio, we like to study and review the ways in which time is spent on board and how the enjoyment of a yacht can be enhanced.”

If you rolled your eyes at the thought of a floating swan, American designer Steve Kozloff’s controversial GOLIATH Series might just tip you over the edge. His concepts aren’t designed to be built, but empower blue sky thinking. Kozloff’s ARCTIC OWL, a hybrid scientific exploration yacht with a retrofuturistic aesthetic, is designed to sail 6,000 miles on a single tank. His Spanish Armada-inspired GALLEON will likely never see the light of day, but this doesn’t matter to the intrepid designer.

“Designing yachts gives me great pleasure,” he says. “It’s a win-win either way – it’s only a plus if I sell a design.”

“Anyone who loves the sea and wants to immerse themselves in their environment will be attracted to the Hydrosphere.”

GALLEON designed by Steve Kozloff