T E A K
I S S U E
•
n ° 1 3
•
2 0 1 8
[ MEGAYACHT ]
72
When a pair of expert, eagle-eyed owners came in search of an original yacht brimming with meticulously-crafted details, Benetti dug deep to produce a stylishly innovative 67-metre beauty with interiors and exteriors by Area and Cor D. Rover by Paola Bertelli - ph. by courtesy Giuliano Sargentini
73
t is quite unusual to start a superyacht design with the exteriors but Seasense really is an exception to most rules. As her name suggests, everything goes back to the sea, the senses it stimulates and even its zingy, exhilarating air. That is why they prioritised very generous, liveable and beautifully accessorised al fresco areas. The 160 square metre aft area on the main deck should come as no great surprise therefore – despite the fact that it is home to a pool and sunning area with a cliff-top hotel feel. There is a chameleon-like versatility to this part of the deck too as a system of carbon-fibre panels can slide out to cover the pool, turning it into a basketball court or a dance floor for parties under the starry night sky. Adjacent yet a little further towards the midships section is a dining area where a sliding glass door plays clever games with convention, allowing the owner to create
different spatial combinations. When it is open, the dining room and al fresco pool area become a single space, but when it is closed the dining and saloon-home cinema room become one. The Los Angeles-based studio Area created the interiors after working with the owners for many years and, like Benetti, pulled out all the stops to produce truly unique spaces. More than 100 different materials were used to avoid repetition in any of the various spaces. However, a measured approach was adopted to create a sense of sophisticated balance rather than a chaotic clash. The leitmotif colour in the resulting refined harmonious look is, naturally enough, Cerulean blue with some variations and accents. A whole slew of companies custom-made pieces for Seasense: not least Holly Hunt, Atelier Gary Lee, Tai Ping, Martin Brattrud, Thomas Lavin, and Walter K. The layout is also unusual as both the master suite and a VIP stateroom are on the main deck. The owner requested an enormous area with high ceilings for his personal use and this is reflected too in the fact that there is a three-metre space above the bed featuring a stunning chandelier commissioned by the owner as an art piece from Studio Roso in London. It is not the only such piece aboard as the owners are avid modern art collectors. The four guest staterooms on the lower deck are stunningly bright as their in-hull windows are much larger than is normal. At first glance the lighting appears quite pared-back and minimalist but is actually very finely tuned. “All light fixtures were provided by Benetti’s customary suppliers, but in a number of instances we used their products in ways they had not been used before,” explains lighting designer Joe Kaplan. The best examples are the backlit lounge columns, custom fixtures over the indoor/outdoor dining table and adjacent outdoor seating, dining room dome, flush lights beside the headboards, and bathroom vanity lights.” A number of different pre-set cues or “scenes” for the installed lights are programmed into a Lutron control system to create an optimal balance with outside light and changing daylight conditions, including night-time. Seasense was Cor D. Rover’s first collaboration with Benetti. Her clean, linear exterior is effortlessly elegant with a distinctly naval feel to it muted somewhat by soft harmonious lines. Apertures, grilles and windows of different shapes abound but a personal signature is the group of long narrow windows on the main deck which lift and lend a sense of rhythm to the design of a yacht aboard which love of and contact with the sea is most definitely the dominant theme.
www.benettiyachts.it
74
The Cerulean blue used aboard Seasense is something of an obsession, albeit a very pleasant one. It crops up both on the exterior and in the interior, in accessories and details‌ everywhere, in other words. That said, it never feels repetitive thanks to the seemingly endless array of materials used. Opening, the large pool aft on the main deck is the core element around which the project, which focuses on contact with the sea, centres
75
Compared to what we’ve normally seen, Seasense’s upper deck (this page) is most definitely her most formal. The dining area (bottom) is surrounded by a circular veranda and can be separated if required from the conversation area (top) by a curtain. On the sundeck there is an al fresco area (bottom right) furnished with sofas and generous sun pads. The master suite is exceptionally large and dominated by a sculptural steel chandelier made by Studio Roso of London
76
77
Exterior Design Cor De Rover, owner Cor D. Rover Design
Seasense is a very different yacht from her Benetti predecessors. The yard wanted something new that would still retain a sense of stylistic continuity, however, and in response, Dutch designer Cor De Rover (left) produced this 67-metre which is clothed in original exterior lines
S
easense actually began life when Benetti invited 16 designers to come up with a design to celebrate its 140th anniversary. We produced a line of masculine-looking, almost naval-like designs, ranging from 50m under 500 GRT up to 92m. All were dedicated to al fresco living, revolving around a patented large centrally-placed swimming pool, which we eventually called “Benetti Beach” concept. I personally have never understood why so many yachts have enormous inside volumes and limited outside deck space. Why would you leave your air-conditioned high rise
78
building, where you spend most of your working days, to go to your yacht and then sit inside again? To me life at sea is all about feeling the gentle sea breeze, smelling the fresh and salty scent of the ocean - all from your floating terrace. Seasense’s owner appreciated and embraced this approach, and we started fine tuning the overall design. The result is Seasense, a 67m White-Coloured-Fun-Frigate aboard which I hope the owner’s family will spend many long days to get the real sense of the sea!
79
Seasense is clearly navy-inspired and the tall, narrow windows along the main deck bulwarks are a very personal touch
80
81
Most of the furnishings are custom-made and the materials were meticulously sourced. Modern art dotted the interiors too. The owners wanted Seasense to be a unique yacht on every level and so entrusted her interiors to their favourite designers, Area of America. The opposite page showcases the unusual lighting tucked away behind the wood wall panelling in the dining area on the main deck
Interior Design Walt Thomas, principal at AREA
T
he owners – with whom our studio has worked for approximately 20 years on a broad range of projects – mandated the creation of a yacht environment that in their words “is something that has never been seen before.” Our studio searched for design elements and finishes that were custom and preciously rare. The layout and décor were, as with all the projects for this client, a collaboration of ideas that were synthesized into what we see in the superyacht. The owner is very “hands on”, and we are invigorated and more creative because of this type of relationship, where all ideas are investigated and pushed to their limit. The directive for materials selection was that no finish or furniture item could have been used on any of the former projects. The search with the client’s input was for the unique und nonubiquitous. Each room was, per the client’s desire, to be different from all others with no repetition of materials. The challenge was to make the transition from room to room harmonious and intentional, without being repetitious. The only repeating feature used to tie together the plethora of grand but comfortable selections was the Italian aniline-dyed white wood veneer used for the doors and trim. Most of the furniture was custom-created for the superyacht. Joe Kaplan designed the custom lighting, and the client spearheaded the selection of the onboard accessories. The expansive pool area is the epitome of the experience of the nautilus of the ship. It is vibrant and enhances all other parts,
82
especially with the reflections created in the rooms from the illuminated water. Our studio has worked on the design of other yachts with the owner, but this was the largest and most aggressive undertaking to date. The co-mingling of ideas and pure fun of seeing the synthesis of participation with the entire team was both the challenge and the reward of the project
The Shipyard Marco Tommaso Coiatelli, Benetti Project Engineer
S
easense is the first yacht we used the “Benetti Beach” concept aboard. And we are very proud of the result. It’s a concept that evolved before we embarked on the Seasense project and was part of a study created to develop the “Benettis of the Future”. We developed the “Benetti Beach Concept” with Cor D. Rover with the very clear goal of emphasising contact with the sea. Seasense was the perfect yacht for it as the owner completely embraced the concept. She’s a yacht aboard which the exteriors are very much to the forefront, particularly the aft section of the main deck which has an enormous swimming pool surrounded by a sunning area. The pool itself (10 metres by 4) is of a size normally found only on much larger yachts. So it was far from simple to actually incorporate. In fact, to work out its shape and measurements, we had to test-tank models to help us predict how the water would behave inside it in various sea states and so allow it to be used underway under certain conditions. Seasense was originally to have been a 50-metre but because the owner wanted more interior space she was extended to almost 70 metres. The interiors have impressive headroom, particularly
the master suite. They’re also very bright, especially the guest cabins on the lower deck where we used very large windows that demanded in-depth research and authorisations. The 8-metre limo tender posed another technical challenge. In fact, to allow it enter the central garage, was designer Giorgio Cassetta and the Studio di Ingegneria Arnaboldi had to design a retractable superstructure to make it less vertically bulky.