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The exterior styling by Luca Dini is characterized by the
uninterrupted flow of the main-deck windows and the raked forms of the
wheelhouse and flybridge windshields. These strikingly fluid lines were enhanced
by inverting the customary dark hull and light superstructure paintwork, so that
Be Cool sports an oyster-white hull and metallic gray upper half. The flydeck functions primarily as a solarium with two large facing sofas, orange
and grey "Wave" recliners by Paola Lenti and a huge aft sun bed. A bimini top
extends forward from the roll bar to provide shade for all but the most
committed sun worshippers. Although there is a grill unit with sink,
refrigerator and ice-maker, the owner decided not to have a fixed dining table
as on the main aft deck. Instead, a folding teak table and chairs can be stowed
away out of sight when not in use.
Alfresco dining aft; the open-air
gym. (Click images to enlarge)
Rather than housing a tender or toys, the forward garage has
been turned into an open-air gym—an innovative feature that to this journalist’s
knowledge never has been attempted before. Equipped with exercise machines and
free weights, the carbon-fiber roof can be raised hydraulically to a height
of three meters, providing adequate room for working out but also privacy and
protection from the elements. The foredeck is relatively free of equipment
clutter, and there is a forward-facing bench sofa and a raised teak-decked
section in the extreme bow if guests feel the need to escape.
If the gym solution is totally new, then the interior décor of Be Cool is equally adventurous and, well, cool. Conceived by Studio
Magazzini Associati in Rome together with the owner, a massive stone boulder and
a solid block of granite are not easily missed upon entering the main salon from
the aft deck. Appearances, however, can be deceptive and these art sculptures
are made from foam rubber treated to look like the real thing. They serve a
dual purpose as moveable seating and are so convincing you have to touch them
before admitting the joke is on you.
Another notable feature is the decking of century-old solid oak
that has matured to a mellow honey hue. Used throughout the interior except in
the galley, the close grain of the untreated wood makes it resistant to liquid
stains and creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere more in line with a loft
apartment than a planing yacht. This impression is completed by the eclectic,
freestanding furniture that includes a Baxter capitonné sofa and white leather
chaise lounge and De Padova divan. A floor-to-ceiling mirror at the entrance to
the salon adds volume to the room and disguises two plasma screens behind that
project themed video installations. Against the titanium bulkhead separating the
living and dining rooms is a low, louvred cabinet that was painted zinc gray and
then sanded by hand for a stressed look. The
brass fixtures and two portholes add an appropriate maritime theme to the unit,
which hides the pop-up television.
 Spread about the flydeck are "Wave"
recliners by Paola Lenti and a huge sun bed. (Click image to enlarge)
The dining room is rigorously simple in concept with a
custom-built aluminum table and classic Thonet bentwood chairs painted white.
Intriguingly, there is not a single table lamp aboard the yacht. Illumination in
the salon and dining room is provided by organic-looking ceiling lights
resembling seed pods, whereas the reading lights in the cabins are recessed into
the wall panels. The white lacquered or titanium walls and side cabinets serve
to show off the owner’s collection of vibrant Andy Warhol prints to best
advantage. Each room or cabin contains a single impactful image from the
American pop artist.
The lower-deck accommodations consist of the master suite aft,
plus two twin singles and a forward VIP cabin. All the beds and side cabinets
are mounted on hidden pedestals with ambient lighting underneath to give the
appearance of floating unsupported. Although the titanium and white lacquer
finish is a constant feature, the leather bed frames have been treated gold,
silver or bronze to create an individual ambiance for each cabin. The
flat-screen TVs in the master and VIP cabins fold down from the soffit panels,
but deliberately have been left on display. The white marble countertops in the
bathrooms are complemented by travertine mosaic wall tiles, while the shower
stall in the master bathroom doubles as a steam room and is also fitted with
chromotherapy lights for the ultimate experience in onboard relaxation.
The VIP cabin is perhaps more impressive than the master,
thanks to a reproduction of the classic image of Che Guevara that has been
outlined in LEDs set into the curved bulkhead behind the headboard. To create
the portrait, the aluminum wall panels were drilled by computer-controlled
lasers, painted and then hand-sanded to give a tactile finish. It is just one
more novel feature aboard a yacht that challenges our preconceptions of what the
interior of a boat should look like.
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