T here’s a lot to be said for ongoing collaborations, particularly between shipyard and design studio. It not only speaks to the success of previous projects and the trust that exists between partners, but also to the innate understanding of what a given project needs – and how it can build on and evolve previous designs.
That’s certainly the case for Italian design studio Hot Lab, which is part of the Viken Group, and Turkish shipyard Numarine, whose range of contemporary explorer yachts have proven exceptionally popular – and of which many have enjoyed the touch of the Hot Lab team.
It’s why Numarine turned to Hot Lab to develop the interiors of its new flagship, the 45.34-metre 45XP, which Numarine is revealing for the first time – and with clever use of space, multifunctional areas and a clean yet cosy beach-house-chic style, they are a perfect match to the expansive deck areas and guest amenities the 45XP offers.
“We’ve been collaborating for several years now, and we’re well-acquainted with each other’s distinct styles,” begins Ömer Malaz, Chairman of Numarine. “Given the importance of this new flagship, we felt it was essential to establish a shared design strategy. We gave some broad guidelines, primarily of a technical-structural nature, but we left much of the creative direction to the Hot Lab team.”
The 498GT yacht features stunning exterior styling by Numarine, including a striking profile that emphasises deck space and superstructure glazing, making sure you’re connected to the environment whether you’re outside or in. But the 45XP’s exterior aesthetics only tell half the story – this is a yacht that has been conceived and designed for serious cruising in all conditions and in serious comfort, offering a seaworthy hull and a projected trans-ocean range of 6,000 nautical miles. It was upon Numarine’s exceptional canvas that the Hot Lab team began to consider how to maximise the livability of guest spaces, and how to bring their knowledge from previous models in the series to bear on the new flagship.
It started with considering the layout itself – an easy task, it turned out, thanks to the work already completed by the yard. “The project was already at an advanced technical stage, but it was Numarine themselves who requested we review the general arrangement and make any modifications we deemed beneficial,” says Enrico Lumini, design director and co-founder of Hot Lab. “Not much intervention was needed, as what the yard had devised was already incredibly solid. In this 45-metre yacht, we bring along a wealth of construction experience: we focused on the yard’s strengths but also asked the production team for some small, incremental revolutions aimed at continuously improving the level of detail.
The Hot Lab team, says Malaz, know Numarine’s projects well and they’ve created very different interiors for the last four or five units they designed for the yard. “They also don’t believe it’s essential for the interiors to strictly follow the exterior style, especially for highly successful yachts like ours that are produced in numerous units,” he adds, “although they do try to highlight the best points of interaction between interior and deck – the windows, the connection to the outdoors, and the visual unification of spaces.”
The overall philosophy for the interior was to offer spaces that are warm, inviting, well-proportioned and cohesive in their colour palette. In terms of layout, there is a shift in preference, emphasising the size of individual cabins over their number. The layout, of course, can be adapted to the client’s needs, but Numarine is presenting the project with a focus on five generously sized cabins, making private, intimate space just as important as public areas – a key facet of enhancing life on board, and essential for Numarine in its flagship. There are large saloons, as always, and equally generous space for the owner’s cabin, with the now-essential direct access to a private bow area. “It’s a harmonious blend of the yard’s DNA and new proposals,” Lumini offers.
“At the same time,” he continues, “we’ve tried to layer multiple uses within the same spaces to foster greater social interaction. That led to creating convivial spaces that are especially suitable for families with members of different ages who wish to spend a lot of time together while perhaps engaging in different activities. The saloon becomes a true piazza, with some lounge areas, others dedicated to dining, and still others to cinema – all contained within the same general space, independent yet united.”
Coupled to this is a carefully considered palette of colours and materials which showcase the right balance of wood and leather, the contrast between the grey-sand shade of the oak and the burgundy leather, and the juxtaposition of chic design rigour in the walls and columns with the oriental nuance of ceiling panels. “This fusion of styles is perhaps the most distinctive hallmark of this yacht,” Lumini enthuses.
“Our designers were inspired by current stylistic trends – not because they’re fashionable per se but because, at this moment, the prevailing trend aligns incredibly well with their particular sensibilities,” Ömer Malaz adds. “They follow a style that’s simple, sometimes organic, and at other times more geometric, but always characterised by the use of natural materials without unnecessary processing. They leave travertine in its natural state; they don’t paint oak, leaving it as nature intended; they don’t alter the texture of leather because they want it to be recognisable.”
“This is our philosophy, and I believe that the natural feel of these interiors makes for a winning approach,” confirms Lumini.
It is the perfect embodiment of that partnership with the yard, which is enabling fit-for-purpose interior layout and design to perfectly fit the purposeful XP range. “Our well-established collaboration is an excellent signal of continuity and trust, which can only make us proud of our work and the success of this partnership,” affirms Antonio Romano, commercial director of the Viken Group and co-founder of Hot Lab. “This yacht is clearly a Numarine, with very spacious interiors and sometimes asymmetrical paths, yet it is undoubtedly the highest expression of the quality and style developed by the yard in recent years. We’re super excited to have been able to play our part in it.”
Concludes Malaz: “Our new flagship is a further evolution of everything we have done, and embodies the design experience and construction quality we have honed over numerous projects. This interior layout and style matches perfectly the essence of the 45XP and the adventure cruising lifestyle that Numarine offers all our owners with our fit-for-purpose explorer yachts.”
