Nature on board: Igor Lobanov, Lobanov Design

NATURE ON BOARD

From designing cars, aircraft and then yachts, this Russian designer’s creativity is inspired by a whole range of influences, including input from his artist wife. The result is a sculptural style where fluidity and curved lines shape new biomimetic architectural forms, like those of the A96 by Arcadia Yachts

by Samuela Urbini

Igor Lobanov’s career was originally nurtured by his passion for cars and aircraft. He has several degrees, first in maths then car design at Turin and Coventry. He gained a master’s in transport design and began work in the car industry before meeting a superyacht owner in 2003, an encounter that caused him to change direction and take up yacht design. This couldn’t really be described as his first love – he was born in Ufa, a populous city 1,350 km east of Moscow and 2,000 km from the

Black Sea. The first time he saw the sea was when he was two years old, and he did not do so again until he was a grown man of twenty-four. “I visited Europe for the first time in 1998 and I realised I wanted to carry on studying. I contacted Bertone, Pininfarina and other leading companies in the sector asking where I could train. In the end I chose the IED in Turin”, he says. In 2007 he founded the Lobanov Design studio, based in Barcelona since 2016. He now lives in the city together

with his artist wife, Yulia, whose strikingly modern, sculptural work is a strong influence on Lobanov’s love for the beautiful. All in all, this diverse background taking in transport, art, interiors and architecture has helped Lobanov become an internationally respected yacht designer. His first important projects focussed on exterior design, but now his work takes in all aspects of his subjects. The first of his most famous yachts, mainly large models built with Oceanco, is the 85-metre St. Princess, delivered in 2013. The second, Jubilee, was handed over in 2017. This charming 110-metre design has won a number of awards, placing Lobanov among the elite of international yacht designers. “I like to play with the relativity of sensations. With the Jubilee we managed to create the impression of six decks, while in fact there are only three, and we made a 110-metre yacht seem more like 140 in length from a distance”. The same optical effect has been achieved with the new Mangustas by Overmarine, and

here for the first time Lobanov has also designed the interiors. Their more restrained dimensions can be compared to those of the most recent project completed with Arcadia Yachts, the A96. Over 29 metres in length, it features huge volumes of over 400 square metres that embrace a new well-being concept involving an authentic link with nature, achieved through a number of stratagems, the first being the enormous sliding glass walls that enable interiors and exteriors to coalesce into a single space. “Both brands have their own powerful language. For Mangusta it was crucial to breathe new life into this Italian legend’s old designs. With the Mangusta 165 we succeeded in creating a totally unexpected interior space. I hope we’ve managed to achieve the same effect with Arcadia, a brand I’ve always wanted to work with. With their first yacht I think they introduced a revolutionary concept that can provide double the space in the same dimensions”. On the lower deck of the A96, for example, two of the four twin cabins are transformed

The ever-present desire for wellbeing in our everyday lives lies at the heart of the A96, designed for Arcadia Yachts. This 29-meter yacht (CE Category A) is almost 8 meters in the beam, with five cabins and crew quarters sleeping five (left, the Owner’s cabin). The interior and exterior spaces engage in an ongoing dialogue, with huge transparent sliding doors inviting nature inside the yacht. Above and opposite, the spacious stern

into almost VIP-style accommodation – every available space has been maximised, with the beds turned towards the huge window. “The interior we created is a little harder for the yard to make, with oval and elliptical shapes and natural materials. These give the impression of a much more opulent yacht, but one that’s different, with a luxury that’s refined, not vulgar”. Curved lines are a hallmark of his work. “Fluidity and continuity are natural elements on all vessels. For me yachts should resemble animals that inhabit the seas, like the orca, which has rounded, natural lines”. The yacht, which has been designed to establish a permanent presence in markets beyond the Mediterranean, especially the USA, will be presented at Cannes in 2023.

www.lobanovdesign.com - www.arcadiayachts.com

A96 also provides three unique pluses in terms of volume, with a usable surface area totalling more than 400 square meters. The propulsion system of four Volvo Penta IPS1.200 units delivers high performance and resort-level comfort. Top speed will be up to 24 knots