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The designers of Octopus and Platinum share the unique challenges and possibilities of space planning for the largest yachts.
by Marilyn M. Mower
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12/01/2006
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For Barnett, the mega-commission often presents the opportunity
to design completely custom tenders to match the style of the yacht. His first
such opportunity was with 72-meter (236-foot) Coral Island in 1994, while
he was design project manager for Jon Bannenberg. The custom tenders he drew for
Coral Island were built by Vikal in Australia and became the basis for
the limousine-style tenders Vikal built for yachts such as Boadicea and
Rasselas.
Top: Original limo tender. Bottom: Sketch for a beach club on a
140-meter proposal. (Click images to enlarge)
Of course, clients are increasingly asking for openings to the
sea within the accommodations via French balconies and terraces. "It’s a
romantic idea but challenging in terms of engineering," says Barnett. "There may
be glass walls behind the shell doors [that are] closed much of the time, but
you still have to make fabric and hardware selections for humidity and salt air.
Each of these spaces needs its own air-conditioning system with a compressor
that shuts off automatically when the wall is opened, to prevent
condensation.
"On yachts this size, the owners travel with security personnel
and assistants who are not yacht crew, and we include a separate staff area with
mess and lounge. But there are increasingly others aboard who are neither guests
nor crew, such as photographers, celebrity chefs, scientists, guides, pilots and
specialist engineers. Do they dine with crew or with officers, with personal
staff, or do they have their own mess?"
From Andrew Winch. Top: The four-story atrium designed for Platinum, with double-helix staircase. Bottom: The two-story salon on the 122-meter has a balcony for
orchestras. (Click images to enlarge)
Often the location of cabins and mess for the supernumeraries
is dictated by their need to access the owner and guest areas, stairways or
elevators. "Some of my clients are very involved in this process, and some have
no idea where people come from when their presence is requested," Barnett
says.
"While the number of guest cabins doesn’t increase
arithmetically with increasing length, one thing that needs to increase with
beam is headroom." Barnett typically specifies 2.1-meter overheads for crew
areas, 2.5 meters for corridors and guest areas and three meters for special
feature areas.
With extra length and beam comes the option of separate
vertical circulation paths for owner and guests, including multiple elevators
and divided guest areas so that some guest cabins may have access to the owner’s
private rooms while others do not. Sometimes, says Barnett, the owner will
request more than one suite to call his own.
"Privacy is the No. 1 luxury today, and promoting privacy is
part of the design," says Barnett. "The owner of the hundred-meter yacht
wants more than places to work, entertain and sleep, such as a place for his
hobbies and service pantries devoted exclusively to his use if he likes to get
his own snacks without the intrusion of crew.
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