Welcome to the special “20th Anniversary” section of Top Yacht Design. Here, day by day, we present the best stories, yachts, and personalities we’ve covered over the past 20 years of Top Yacht Design, from 2006 to today.
Taken from Top Yacht Design no. 11/2017, pp. 88-95.
Maiora 36 RPH
The first example of the Newseries which flanks the classic one.
February 2016 to July 2017: that is how long it took from the first inklings of an idea to the launch of the Maiora 36 RPH, the latest addition to Maiora’s New Series which the yard itself asserts “both flanks and completes the classic range.” The yacht, which has the interior volumes and spaces of a much larger craft, was built, fitted out and finished in just i months. Impressive stuff given that it also has the broadest beam in its category (8.2 metres). Even the fly is a beamy y metres – a good measure of the kind of space available throughout. Built from vacuum-infused GRP with Kevlar reinforcements, the Maiora 36 RPH (Raised Pilot House) retains all the familiar Maiora styling elements, not least softly rounded windows underscored by angles that both separate and link the architectural elements.
The new Maiora’s tauter forms combined with large glazed surfaces streamline the yacht too. The overall impact is the result of a joint effort between the yard’s own technical office, the Maiora Style Centre and Quartostile, a design studio that specialises in cars as well as yachts. The height of the exterior has been kept compact without impinging on the interiors as the living areas are absolutely comfortable. As, of course, are the deck areas, not least the sea view terrace afforded by the cockpit which connects directly to the beach club and the transom platform from where guests can board the 5-metre tender and jet ski. There is also a further terrace-style area forward, just under the pilothouse windscreen and complete with a sofa and table, two sun pads and lots of free space. Last is the fly bridge which, because of its impressive width and hard top, reveals a lounge area with dining area, bar and, aft, a lounge zone and hydromassage tub.
The owner of Harmony, as the first Maiora 36 RPH is called, was very specific about the interiors: “A linear style. Vaguely inspired by Mittel Europa rationalism but Art Deco art deco references.” Maiora’s technicians and workforce really dug deep to deliver but deliver they did. The yacht in its entirety was designed by the yard’s Style Centre drawing on a wide array of materials ranging from Canaletto walnut to granite, mirrors and Murano glass as well as several bespoke mosaics created especially for Harmony. Some adorn the furniture panels while another is on the ceiling of the dining room. The stairwell is triumph too. Here glass, leather and mirrors are combined with black lacquered furnishings and unusual lighting to create an ambience that brilliantly showcases both the interior designers’ sensibilities and the skills of the yard’s craftsmen and women. The same can be said of the rest of the yacht, including the wonderfully bright, airy saloon where the windows are practically floor-to-ceiling.
The latter also flows into the dining room which in turn connects to the galley. To starboard of the galley is the corridor that signals the end of the guest area and leads into the master suite which occupies the entire forward area of the main deck, offering not just a bedroom with closets and bathroom but also an office. The furnishings have a glossy black lacquer finish while the bed has a padded headrest and is flanked by Art Deco-style nightstands. Most significantly, the master suite has a starboard balcony that opens on to the sea, making it unique and underscoring the spirit of the new Maiora 36 RPH. A spirit that also discreetly pervades the three guest cabins on the lower deck. Here, as throughout the yacht, the leitmotifs are the horizontal grain of the Canaletto walnut, the detailing and fabrics put to individual use in the various cabins, and the beautifully crafted marble in the bathrooms which further enhances the luxurious charm of the spaces. However, the most impressive factor of all is the astonishing space aboard the Maiora 36 RPH, a yacht that effortless encapsulates the “innovation in tradition” philosophy of Maiora’s new course.
By Emilio Martinelli – Photo by A&B Photodesign
