Cover Story: Sanlorenzo Yacht Attila 64 Steel

Helicopter

Five decks with startling spaces and living solutions. Sanlorenzo has the courage to dare, presenting the 64Steel, a majestic yacht that remains true to its heritage. Its exteriors are by Officina Italiana Design with interiors by Francesco Paszkowski Design

by Paola Bertelli - ph. Guillaume Plisson

ne statistic sets the scene: 1,600 gross tons. An unusually large number for a 64-metre yacht, and one that translates into larger volumes and spaces. This kind of gross tonnage is more typical of yachts measuring 70 metres or more, and on Attila it’s the result of an extensive and detailed wish list provided by the owner, a repeat client for Sanlorenzo who is upgrading from a 46-metre model. This demanding but stimulating challenge was taken on by the Sanlorenzo yard in collaboration with Officina Italiana Design (OID), which created the exteriors. Francesco Paszkowski Design with Margherita Casprini were in charge of the interiors. The philosophy underpinning the Attila project is clear – the owner wanted a yacht to enjoy with family and friends, a craft with a welcoming atmosphere, discreet elegance and plenty of relaxation areas and functional spaces. The more than generous volumes inspired OID to pull off a demanding stylistic exercise, creating dynamic, balanced shapes with accentuated horizontal elements and simple lines. The owner’s passion for fine food and wine and sharing these with friends provided significant input for the main deck layout. One entering, guests are welcomed by an unusual informal food area (an open-air veranda created by opening the side windows) of around 70 square metres, where the counter-top with a large BBQ separates the space from the media room behind. Food and beverages, of course, need their own spaces, so the tank deck features a climatised wine store with a capacity of 500 bottles and a cold store finished in black Marquina marble, exclusively for meat. The bridge deck plan is more traditional, with a lounge before the “official” dining area. Further forward is a 46-square-metre wheelhouse with the walkaround central console typical of large ships. The owner specified a 250-square-metre deck for his personal use with full-height windows in the bedroom. The deck also features an indoor living area and an outdoor relaxation zone aft, two bathrooms, hair salon and a private swimming pool forward providing total privacy. The superb beach club enables guests to spend time at sea level. Its importance on board is emphasised by the 78 square-metre area which is obtained when the side platforms are lowered, and the spectacular interior and exterior stairways, which were designed to create an uninterrupted relationship between the main deck social areas and the beach club. This strategic choice has created a single large social area on several levels. The main deck swimming pool’s glass bottom, a clear reference to the Sanlorenzo 52Steel, which was also designed by Officina Italiana Design, serves as a skylight and creates the countless shimmering reflections that dance across the space. There is also a garage for a 10-metre limousine tender and a touch-and-go helipad that transforms into a solarium when not in use. The surface finishings are the result of a refined selection that creates the welcoming, elegant surroundings the owner desired. The warm colour of teak is widely exploited throughout, including in the ceiling slats framing the glossy panelling. The walls are glass and fabric and lend an extraordinary three-dimensional feel to the spaces. Various types of marble have been used, from Calacatta in the guest areas in the forward main deck to gold Calacatta in the owner’s bathroom, while backlit white-gold onyx creates an embracing atmosphere in the lobby. Cappuccino colour stone features in some coffee tables and the hammam and massage room are decorated with mosaics. The owner is very fond of leather, so it appears in the bedheads (the owner’s is in crocodile skin), the walkway area walls and on the interior stairs, with the tops of some furniture units finished in shagreen. There are also stainless steel details that act as elements tying together the various materials. The furniture is a combination of major Italian brands and bespoke pieces by Francesco Paszkowski Design, including the coffee tables and two dining tables. Paszkowski is also responsible for details like the cupboard door handles, a decorative motif present throughout the yacht. The elegant sobriety and dominant white, grey and brown colour scheme are given added personality by works of art and objects chosen by the owner. It’s impossible not to notice the gilded gorilla, a precious element that adds a touch of creative flair to the otherwise restrained bridge deck dining area. Other notable features include the more conventionally artistic bust of a woman with open arms by Nicolas Desbons in the main deck atrium that accompanies guests towards the T-shaped stairway down to the beach club, and the original lamps by Catellani & Smith above the bridge deck dining table, gilded stylised lilies with an LED in their centre. www.sanlorenzoyacht.com

The Attila boasts generous spaces and a balanced progression of decks characterised by horizontal openings and clean, simple external lines. Opening, the glass screens aft mean the main deck swimming pool offers an uninterrupted view of the sea

The interiors are refined without being ostentatious. Warm, bright colours feature throughout the yacht, from the owner’s suite (above) to the dining area on the main deck (to side, top) with bar counter and table for twelve to the media room (to side, bottom) furnished with Flexform armchairs and sofas. Right, the T-stairway linking the main deck to the beach area with the artworks Believer and Riddle by Matteo Pugliese

Exterior Design Mauro Micheli, Chief Designer Officina Italiana Design

Attila is “our” flagship, a demanding project and an interesting challenge. The yacht is based on the owner’s specifications, requirements that we “dressed” and built to measure. The Attila has large interiors, so we chose to streamline the look as much as possible, darkening part of the hull and superstructure to create sleeker lines and simplifying the shapes. As with other the Sanlorenzo yachts designed by Officina Italiana Design (OID), the windows play a significant role in both interiors and exterior, and the aesthetic lines have been designed to allow as much light as possible into the interiors. While most of the interiors were created in line with the owner’s specifications, other areas like the beach club are the result of a collaboration between our studio and the yard’s engineering and research section. The aim was to use the same beach club as on the 52Steel Seven Sins, which has set the pace in recent years, with the main deck swimming pool also serving as a skylight onto the beach below – with a different layout and dimensions, of course, but that’s the underlying philosophy. Attila was a significant challenge for us, one that we accepted and have brought to a conclusion with great enthusiasm. The yacht’s decks display a balanced progression with horizontal lines reflecting the Sanlorenzo style.

The beach club (below) hosts a sauna, hammam, massage rooms and water-level gym. When the sea platforms are opened it covers an area of 78 square metres. The dark colour of the hull and first level of the superstructure lend dynamism to the profile of this spacious 64-metre yacht. Right, Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta (Ceo of OID), co-founders of the Italian studio based in Bergamo

ph. Alberto Merisio

The beach club interiors are lit by shimmering reflections created by the light shining through the glass bottom of the main deck swimming pool (above). The more formal dining area on the bridge deck (below) with made-to-measure table, Baxter chairs and lights by Catellani & Smith. To side, the interior stairs to the lower deck

Interior Design Francesco Paszkowski, founder Francesco Paszkowski Design

The project for the Attila’s interiors, which was carried out in collaboration with Margherita Casprini, was inspired by an intense exchange of ideas with the owner, who wanted a larger yacht than the 46-metre model he had at the time, and for which our studio had already created the interiors. Meeting the owner was an excellent starting point for our work and for our interactions with Sanlorenzo, with whom we’ve been collaborating since 2005. The Attila’s layout and decor fully reflect the owner’s wishes and personality. He knows the market well, and is driven by curiosity: he’s a volcano of ideas. He enjoys following the development of the design and played a hands-on role in the choice of layout and materials. In general, he wanted us to introduce ways of living that were already familiar to him at home, like the kitchen and the many relaxation areas – he enjoys cooking and being with friends. The main deck layout is rather unusual because you immediately enter the food area. This was one of his specific desires that we’ve optimised in creating the spaces and in some technical aspects. We’ve also connected this area to the beach club, transforming it into a single large space developed over two levels with the help of the T-shaped stairs. We’ve used glass panels in the furniture to make it possible to see the entire space of these interiors. As well as the beach club, whose area increases when the two side terraces are opened and is the location for the hammam, sauna, massage room, a sofa facing the interior and exterior and a central bar counter, we’ve created two more spacious relaxation areas, one forward on the bridge deck that can also be used for parties or as a helipad and another on the sun deck. A system of glass screens on the sun deck makes this area hospitable in the evening, too, sheltering it from any cool breeze. Sourcing a variety of materials and combining them with great skill and taste were crucial elements in creating the warm, welcoming atmosphere the owner sought. We also selected the art works and objects on board – paintings, photos, books, ashtrays. It was a long, often unnoticed task, all based on the owner’s suggestions. He had the final say in this, and with the gilded gorilla statue chosen by the lady of the yacht, the statues flanking beach club stairway, the gilded armchairs by Baxter – another of her choices - in her relaxation corner, opposite her partner’s in the day area of the owner’s deck.

ph. by Giovanni Malgarini