With record demand for new yachts by ever-younger owners, designers have been busy with fresh concepts. These seven concepts go far beyond tweaking the beach club or adding a few windows. They flirt with hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion, glass-bottomed swimming pools to light lower decks, and even hidden pilothouses using augmented reality to navigate the yacht.
What’s more, they explore much larger concepts of the use of space, and how owners and guests actually use the superyachts. Three-deck glass atriums, huge piazzas and nature parks bring new opportunities for life on board—and free up the imagination to explore possibilities.
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Kairos By Oceanco, Pininfarina and Lateral
Image Credit: Courtesy Oceanco Kairos, officially launched by Oceanco at September’s Monaco Yacht Show, is a new way of thinking about onboard life. The 295-foot design combines asymmetric shapes, transparent structures and few physical barriers, all culminating in its vast piazza, which is the most dramatic area of this forward-thinking concept. The Dutch yacht builder partnered with Italian design firm Pininfarina, with technical assistance from Lateral Naval Architects.
Beyond the beautiful spaces—including a number of suites on the lower decks, and a panoramic balcony on the top deck, the hull has an asymmetric shape, with no clear bow, so it can move in opposite directions. The design team choose to think of Kairos as a “living, floating island,” rather than a conventional superyacht. “A 360-degree approach to design at once connects you to the sea below, to the light above and to the spaces and people beside you,” said Paolo Pininfarina, regarding the concept. “It nourishes your curiosity on an instinctive level and encourages you to explore new experiences and perspectives.”
The yacht also has sustainability in mind, with all-electric propulsion in its diesel-hybrid configuration. The e-Hybrid architecture permits extensive operation with no noise, lower vibrations and zero local emissions.
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Alice by Lürssen
Image Credit: Courtesy Lürssen Yachts German boatbuilder Lürssen has ventured down the rabbit hole with its first ever superyacht concept, the 321.5-foot Alice. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, the five-deck climate-neutral yacht features a floating, pod-like superstructure, which houses the owner’s deck and bridge, and an open-air main deck. “The design takes inspiration from the small ferries in Amsterdam where the captain sits in a pilot deck above, and below is a passage way for people to pass through,” Jim Sluijter, lead exterior designer told Robb Report.
A full-sized Padel court sits aft, with a dance floor, bar and dining area amidships, and forward a Japanese-themed garden with ponds, greenery and a bridge. A floating glass-bottomed pool suspended across an opening in the sun deck adds wow factor. Powered by emission-free fuel cells that generate electrical energy based on hydrogen, Alice is also equipped with a methanol engine for higher speed and energy demands. A waste heat recovery system, organically farmed wood and eight lower deck guest suites complete the offering, with interior design by Dasha Moranova Designs.
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Apache Concept by Tankoa
Image Credit: Courtesy Tankoa Tankoa Yachts introduces a new technical platform with its 249-foot T760 Apache concept. Key to the design is a 31-foot “flying” glass-bottomed pool suspended in the bow between the upper deck and main deck; it begins at the foot of the bed in the owner’s suite and filters light into the semi-open lounge and gym on the deck below.
The lower deck beach club with folding side terraces delivers over 1,300-square-feet of chic resort space and the yacht’s second pool. When the folding platforms are closed, one-way glass the same color as the hull creates a private lounge area with views out to sea. “We created a gym and wellness space on two levels for the guests to enjoy,” designer Alberto Mancini told Robb Report. “We also wanted to avoid the typical dark cave effect found on many beach clubs.”
But the best seat in the house is reserved for the cozy observation lounge or crow’s nest with panoramic vistas high above the water, ideal for enjoying the last rays at sunset.
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Scintilla by Tillberg Design
Image Credit: Courtesy Tillberg Design At 393 feet, Scintilla is a modern voyager conceived for world cruising. We recently reported on her sister concept, Mimer. A collaboration between DreamLiner Yachting, IYC, Tillberg Design of Sweden and Laurent Giles Naval Architects, the concept is designed to welcome 36 guests and 44 crew and puts fuel-efficiency at the fore. Scintilla can accommodate hybrid engines, as well as a combination battery and alternative fuel system, and eco-conscious materials have been used on the interior and exterior spaces. However, all eyes are on the smorgasbord of explorative toys and tenders, which blows the standard wakeboard and paddle board offering out the water. The dedicated toy area has room for a seaplane, submarine, foldable catamaran, expedition RIBS, amphibious and land vehicles, jet skis, quads and a helicopter. At the end of a long day, a multi-level owners’ suite, comprising the aft portion of the bridge and heli-decks, opens onto a private deck complete with Jacuzzi and infinity pool to rejuvenate aching muscles.
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Merveille 253W by Merveille Yachting
Image Credit: Courtesy Merveille Yachting The 253-foot Merveille 253W is a sailing yacht with a difference. With a focus on reducing fuel consumption and increasing efficiency, the explorer concept, produced in partnership with Feadship, features a new wind-assisted propulsion system that doesn’t require rigging. Designed by AYRO, the fully automated Oceanwings can rotate 360 degrees, have an adjustable camber and twist and can retract when furled. When under sail using the Oceanwings, underwater turbines regenerate the kinetic energy to recharge the battery packs. The yacht is also equipped with wind turbines and solar panels for additional sources of renewable energy. A large, uncluttered deck space combined with a 63-foot beam creates a sense of calm. A sunken swimming pool on the bow is the matching Zen detail.
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One 50 by Meyer Yachts
Image Credit: Courtesy Meyer Yachts Startup brand Meyer Yachts recently announced a new concept called One 50, which is a 150-meter (492-foot) six-deck superyacht that will have accommodations for 44 guests, a two-level spa, a real movie theater with adjoining billiard room, an entertainment area with a stage, an art gallery and a huge infinity pool. Oh, and it will be powered by fuel cells and battery banks, so will generate zero carbon emissions. The system will generate 25,000 kilowatts giving this gigayacht a maximum speed of 23 knots.
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Pure by Feadship
Image Credit: Courtesy Feadship Feadship’s 268-foot Pure, also unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show, has at least one revolutionary feature—it places the traditional pilothouse below-decks, in a cabin that uses augmented-reality visualization that connects with radar, AIS, maps, depth sounders and cameras. That will allow the captain to see everything virtually—perhaps more than looking through the windshields of the pilothouse—with all necessary navigation information at hand. This kind of helm has been used on naval vessels like submarines, but never on a superyacht. Feadship said that the concept was embraced by many captains, particularly younger ones who are comfortable with technology.
Pure also has other breakthrough designs like a three-deck elliptical glass atrium, retractable glass-bottomed Jacuzzi amidships, and a large beach club with three fold-down balconies aft and both sides. Located half inside, half out, the atrium incorporates large slabs of glass to provide a clear line of sight across three of the five decks. Filling the interior with natural light, the vast central space means guests must look to private balconies for privacy.
Pure was also designed with flexible “energy-hybrid” propulsion that would evolve over time. From diesel electric in 2024, to hydrogen in 2027, to all-methanol fuel cells in 2030, the concept is designed to respond to advancing technology, depending on which sustainable fuels become most viable.
