The term "floating palace", hackneyed by the writing fraternity, can finally be deservedly used for its intended purpose. In collaboration with BMT Nigel Gee, Yacht Island Design, which has earned a reputation for its work for the automotive industry and for creating 3D models of yachts, has depicted the concept of a 155m yacht whose upper deck is a miniature model of the Monaco Grand Prix formula route - along with the famous casino, hotel and Port Hercule to the pile.
This is no joke: the track is the real one, for karts. It curls between living quarters and entire sections of decks that depict Monegasque attractions: Casino, Hotel De Paris, Port Hercule, the famous tunnel and other iconic sites. The whole ensemble is called "Streets of Monaco" and consists of four separate platforms. There is a Casino Square - on an ordinary yacht it would be called prosaically "upper deck" - with a fountain with a transparent bottom and gardens. Closer to the bow is the Loews Hotel, or rather its roof, as it is technically part of the superstructure from the Plaza to the bow of the yacht. It has sunbathing areas, a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi. Next in line is the main aft deck pool depicting the famous Monegasque Port Hercule. Here, riders will need to go around another Jacuzzi, this time with a bar by the side. And the final stage is the Palace of the Dukes in miniature. It has a master suite.
I must say that this concept is unique not only by the crazy superstructure. In the creative frustration (supported, however, by solid engineering and design experience) the developers and the lower part of the building made quite unusual. The ship is designed on the basis of the architecture SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull - a two-hull vessel with a small waterline area). In fact, it is a catamaran with two narrow hulls like a knife and pontoon thickenings in the underwater area. Thanks to this design, only the narrow hulls are directly in the waves and the bulk of the ship passes under and over the waves without being exposed to shocks, unlike conventional ships that overcome the waves with their entire surface. SWATH makes the vessel exceptionally stable in the most difficult weather conditions, and passengers hardly notice the rocking. This is how offshore drilling rigs are built, for which it is important to minimize drift in the water.
This architecture is now used almost exclusively in commercial shipbuilding, but yacht builders are beginning to look at it more and more closely. The first mega yacht built on this principle was The Silver Cloud. as of Abeking & Rasmussenand the American Trinity Yachts is also about to offer something like this to clients soon.
The SWATH's titanic dimensions allow 70 crew members and 16 guests to relax and work in comfort in two additional themed areas. The second zone is located on the main deck, closer to the stern, and is called "Oasis". It copies the gardens around the Monte Carlo Casino. There are secluded sofa areas and there is a waterfall where water flows from the upper deck pool.
The last themed area is the "Grand Atrium", which, according to the developers, will be the main place for the inhabitants to spend time. It combines upper and lower living quarters, and in its center there is a main staircase winding around another waterfall. Water flows here from the fountain on the upper deck, the 'Streets of Monaco', remember?
In the lower atrium level, in addition to the guest cabins, there is a library, cinema and office area. The upper level has a living room (with cigar room and wine cellar), dining room, dancing hall and even a casino. Most of it, however, is occupied by the owner's apartment - a three-level room with its own pool, several balconies and, hm, its own courtyard.
The list of things to do doesn't end there. There's also a sports ground on the ship where you can play basketball or tennis or land a helicopter. There are also seven guest cabins with their own living rooms and balconies, a beauty salon, garages for water toys and a mini-submarine, as well as another gym and a terrace for the crew. Now you can exhale.
Will they ever build one of these? There's no denying it - the demand for blatant luxury is slowly reborn. Western journalists are already shockingly hoping that if someone orders such a ship, the guests will not lose their heads during the deck races on the maps. A skidding kart with a driver flies into the dining area, they say, is able to cheer up even the most pushy meal...
The editorial staff has noticed the following - a year ago, when we were describing the ideas of the Indian gloomy genius, we honestly had no idea how we could surpass "Maharaja". As it turned out, we could, yes. We believe that the European School of Bulk Architecture has explained very convincingly who is in the house.
