With on-board glass a great way to welcome in the sunlight and open up interior spaces to the natural world, it’s no surprise that the use of yacht glass has increased in today’s superyacht designs, with recent projects featuring some beautiful glass superstructures and inventive amenities – some that can be seen from the dock and others that are hidden deep within the vessel.
With this in mind, Yachting Pages looks into seven of the best uses of yacht glass in superyacht design; from floor-to-ceiling windows and ‘floating’ glass superstructures through to futuristic glass elevators and inspiring underwater lounges.
1. M/Y A for her glass-bottomed swimming pool
Penned by French yacht designer, Philippe Starck for Russian chemical tycoon Andrey Melnichenko, M/Y A is a truly unique design; admired by some and misunderstood by many. At 119m long, she has the room for no less than three swimming pools on board; one of which is glass-bottomed, and can be looked up into by the disco below providing a unique perspective for guests aboard.
2. M/Y Venus for her floor-to-ceiling glass windows
Designed for the late Steve Jobs, by Jobs himself in collaboration with Philippe Starck, the 79m M/Y Venus showcases impressive use of exterior yacht glass, giving her great presence as she pulls up in ports and marinas around the world. She displays eye-catching floor-to-ceiling glass panels across the length of her main living area, and an impressive line up of large cabin windows below, just short of floor-to-ceiling length.
3. M/Y Dubai for her circular glass staircase
Currently owned by His Highness Sheik Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, M/Y Dubai boasts a show-stopping circular glass staircase at her heart with her ‘floating’ glass steps bathed in light from the skylight in the top deck. These magically change colour to create different moods on board.
4. M/Y Stella Maris for her glass greenhouse canopy
Yacht glass is used throughout the design of the 72m M/Y Stella Maris to create a luxurious yet private villa-style yacht with views of the sea with protected privacy.
The dining area on her upper aft deck is encased by three glass walls, which, when desired, can be folded back to create an al fresco dining area. She also has a further glass-walled aft saloon on her main deck, created with custom laminated windows that are ‘sandwiched’ for UV and acoustic protection and a unique glass lift wrapped in a glass tube. Her most notable glass feature is however an indoor living winter garden that uses glass to keep in the heat and humidity needed for a climate-controlled greenhouse. This creation spans from the main deck up to the upper deck salon and is full of various plant life to connect the yacht with the natural world outside.
5. M/Y Rising Sun for her full-height curved windows
The largest yacht in our list, the 138m motor yacht Rising Sun has an incredibly light interior and imposing stature, thanks to her lines of full-height curved windows which run along the entire length of her upper superstructure.
Designed by the late Jon Bannenberg to include extensive use of structural glass and a stripped-down profile, Rising Sun was built by Lurssen for Larry Elison, CEO of Oracle Corporation, and is currently owned by American media mogul, David Geffen.
6. M/Y Savannah for her underwater lounge and viewports
Not only does Feadship’s M/Y Savannah showcase striking use of yacht glass from her exterior profile, with her ‘floating’ superstructure, but she also uses thick glass and intelligent engineering in order to facilitate an awe-inspiring underwater lounge, created to allow her owner to be ‘at one’ with the water.
The glass-encased lounge is on the port side of the boat, and allows charter guests to watch the ocean outside from one view, and guests in the swimming pool on the other side. When not in use for underwater viewing, the lounge is also multi-functional, turning into a cinema.
7. M/Y Stiletto for her futuristic glass elevator and skylight
One to watch, Oceanco’s M/Y Stiletto is the newest addition to our list, having been unveiled to the industry as a concept design at the Dubai International Boat Show in March 2015.
Designed in collaboration with renowned UK yacht designer, Ken Freivokh and as yet un-built, M/Y Stiletto has all the impressive features and luxury amenities that you would expect to find on a yacht of this size, including a central 360-degree glass lift and spiral staircase that are lit from above by a large skylight, bringing sunlight down into the centre of the yacht.
Discover more about the use of yacht glass in stunning superyacht designs at Yachtingpages.com.
SOURCE: Yachting Pages