The reading a boat design project goes far beyond a list of technical specs and descriptive information. Telling a design project means grasping the thought that has accompanied the creative process from its very beginning.
In the case of the Custom Line Navetta 30, the reasoning level makes a qualitative leap. In fact, it is not just a new model that enriches and expands an existing product range. It is the result of teamwork that has involved the Ferretti Group Product Strategic Department, chaired by engineer Piero Ferrari, the Engineering Department, architect Filippo Salvetti, who supervised the exterior design, and the design studio Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, which took care of the interior design. The idea behind the Navetta 30 embraces the concept of a true, authentic design, far from the formalism that is becoming increasingly popular in the nautical sector.
The latest addition to the Custom Line range has been designed to establish a stronger bond with the marine element. A sense of belonging that can be found, above all, in the way Patricia Viel and Antonio Citterio have imagined the on-board life experience. The interior design completely escapes from the idea of promoting a home-inspired style. On the contrary, the wealth of knowledge and the design culture gained by the Milanese studio in this area were fundamental to conceive spaces where the concept of seaworthiness does not go to the detriment of comfort.
“ We approached this project by imagining a dialogue with people who love the sea. People who like to walk barefoot, who don’t feel the need to dress up for dinner, and who, after taking a bath, do not hesitate to sit still wet on the sofa “, says Patricia Viel. In short, freedom. A feeling that only on-board life can give and that, in the case of the Navetta Custom Line 30, can be experienced not only in general terms, but also in the details that compose the mosaic with which the interiors have been designed. This sense of freedom can also been found in the open spaces of the boat. Design has adopted a language that eliminates any physical and visual distance between indoor and outdoor areas.
“We worked hard with Filippo Salvetti to maximise windows’ size, to keep them as close to the ground as possible in order to give continuity between exteriors and interiors, even working on the smallest details to have fluid spaces” adds Patricia Viel. As a result, the choice of materials plays a central role in conveying this feeling. Starting from teak which, usually used to cover the external decks, dominates the interiors of the Navetta 30, distributed over three decks, cabins and heads included.
Soft and neutral colors leave room for the natural shades of leather and various shades and textures of blue. “Instead of emphasizing the differentiation between the spaces, we tried to give a sense of unity to the boat, using an essential material chart and, above all, trying to put the various areas in visual communication with each other”, explains Patricia Viel. The marine element can also be found in an endless series of details throughout the boat, confirming the great research work behind the project.
The idea of being inside a boat, for example, is suggested by the architecture of the exposed hull which, present in the guest cabins, plays an important decorative role. The braided rope appears on the backrest of the seats and sofas of the Erika collection by B&B Italia (reminiscent of the gulets’ones) placed aft, as well as in the railing of the helical staircase that externally connects the decks. Weaving is a theme that can also be found in some furnishing details in the living area, as well as the bedspread of the owner’s suite.
In addition to materials (wood and leather first of all), marine atmospheres are also evoked by some furnishing elements, such as Ortigia seats by Flexform or the Atoll chaise longue by B&B Italia in the main deck living room. The research work carried out by Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel has undermined and rewrited the traditional rule according to which the function was defined only by spaces.
“In the case of the Navetta 30” continues Mrs. Viel “we deliberately used an approach based on maximum flexibility in terms of space usability where it is enough to move a chair or a table to experience a surface in a completely different way, depending on the time of day”. The research work on materials has resulted in the choice of new and very innovative solutions. “We did a good search for the heads. We wanted something particularly resistant but also specifically project-oriented”continues Patricia Viel.
“We have identified a company specialized in the production of mosaics made from recycled glass (Microfarma by Micromosaico). We started with a dot pattern which then became an almost imperceptible but recurring decorative element, and which we also re-proposed in the wallpaper made of quartz powder on glass fiber. In the heads, the round shaped tiles come in all shades of green, from the lightest to the darkest ones. We were very happy with this choice. This material proved to be very versatile, light, tactile and visually rich “adds Mr.Viel.
That nothing has been left to chance can be perceived from the conscious choice to focus on integrated and tailor-made furnishing accessories, not only to maintain stylistic coherence with the design philosophy but, above all, to avoid that increasingly widepread “showroom” effect. The presence of rounded furniture profiles should therefore be read not as an aesthetic quirk, but as a correct interpretation of a fundamental rule, namely the absence of sharp corners or edges.
The result is a hull where wood is combined with carbon details, confirming both the modernity and sustainability of this boat. “Sustainability is still a weak point in the nautical sector”, explains Patricia Viel, “This is why we decided to take a real approach to this issue. There are boats where, to bleed a shower, you have to destroy half a head. Ours, instead, is a regenerable boat. Eventual refitting would not require any unnecessary waste”, she concludes.
This means that nothing has been left to chance. Much of the interior spaces, especially the social areas, can change their intended use and be regenerated while always maintaining their stylistic and design consistency. The same goes for the outdoor areas where the furnishing accessories are all removable in order to ensure quick and smart maintenance. This was made possible by the use of new technologies.
For the first time in the history of the group, for example, a special yet poorly widespread design technology was used. We are talking of BIM (Building Information Modeling) which is not a simple three-dimensional representation, but “a working method that uses digital technology to model work. In short, a virtual image of the object accurately shows all its components and explains how to assemble or disassemble a panel, where a certain pipe passes through or where the shower drain is. A digital model that accompanies the object throughout its life and which can be updated in case of changes “concludes Patricia Viel.
In conclusion, the Custom Line Navetta 30 rewrites the rules of design which, if on the one hand draw on a design methodology in which the use of technology is expressed at the highest levels, on the other hand they focus on the sea theme, intended above all as life experience.
After all, the sea is an element that still exerts a great influence, representing an inexhaustible source of inspiration. As Bruno Munari wrote in The sea as a craftsman: “You throw something into the sea, and the sea (after an unspecific and indeterminable amount of time) hands it back to you carved, finished, smoothed, shiny or polished according to the material and wet too because that way colours are brighter”. And in the case of the Custom Line Navetta 30, time and sea will further emphasize its beauty.
Matteo Zaccagnino
