Five designers can start from the same space and arrive at five different ways of living in it. More than stylistic variety, this is the most interesting aspect of Numarine Atelier, the project through which the Turkish shipyard has entrusted the interiors of its new Classic Line to Hot Lab, Ofist, Vallicelli Design, Sturge & Toth and Carla Guilhem Design.
The common ground is provided by the new 38XPC and 39MXPC. The exteriors are designed by Can Yalman, while the naval architecture is by Umberto Tagliavini’s team. This shared foundation shifts the focus towards what happens inside: materials, light, geometries, furniture and the relationship between different spaces.
The result shows how strongly a yacht’s identity can depend on the way its spaces are interpreted. The dimensions remain the same, as do the technical requirements associated with the explorer vocation of the two models. What changes is the experience of those who will live in these interiors.
Space as Common Ground
The decision to involve five studios becomes particularly significant because the 38XPC and 39MXPC are conceived for long-range cruising. On an explorer yacht, the interior develops a different relationship with time compared with a yacht primarily intended for shorter stays. Spaces have to accommodate different rhythms throughout the day, while materials, furniture and circulation gradually become part of everyday life on board.
It is within this context that the five proposals take different directions. Hot Lab places materials at the heart of its approach. Woods with pronounced grain, selected leathers, satin-finished metals and matt surfaces create an interior where tactility carries particular weight. These materials are intended to be used and to evolve over time, allowing the traces of life on board to become part of the interior itself.
With Ofist, the focus shifts towards geometry. Clean lines, integrated furniture and controlled chromatic contrasts bring order to the spaces and guide circulation. Ergonomics therefore becomes part of the spatial composition, particularly in the social areas and in the connections between the saloon, wheelhouse and deck.
Two different approaches already reveal one of the possibilities offered by the project: the same architecture can be interpreted through the texture of its surfaces or through the rhythm of its forms.
From Home to Cruising
Vallicelli Design introduces an approach closer to domestic living. Soft fabrics, lighting and the arrangement of furniture create spaces centred around conviviality, with particular attention paid to their ability to adapt to different moments of the day. The saloon consequently takes on a central role. Its configuration can accommodate more social occasions or become a more intimate space during extended periods on board.
This introduces a distinctly architectural question: how does a space change when it is lived in for long periods of time? The answer extends beyond comfort. The distance between pieces of furniture, ease of circulation, the relationship with light and even the ability to change the function of a space throughout the day all come into play. On a yacht with an explorer vocation, these aspects become a tangible part of the design.
Designing for What Comes Next
The interpretation by Sturge & Toth shifts the discussion towards a less immediate aspect: durability. Matt finishes, hard-wearing materials, removable panels and accessibility to technical components bring the yacht’s future maintenance into the interior design process. It is an aspect that rarely emerges from images, yet becomes increasingly important when a yacht is used extensively.
The choice of a surface finish, for example, affects the appearance of an interior at delivery, but also the way that same space will age after years of cruising. Similarly, providing easy access to systems and technical compartments means considering from the outset the work that will accompany the yacht throughout its life. Here, design comes directly into contact with function. It is also one of the areas where the explorer nature of the two models becomes particularly clear.
Light Changes Proportions
With Carla Guilhem Design, the focus moves towards the perception of space. Light palettes, metallic accents and surfaces that interact with reflections create interiors in which light contributes to the way volumes are perceived. Entertainment and connectivity technologies are also integrated with the aim of reducing their visual presence.
The idea goes beyond colour choices. Light and materials can alter the perception of distance, visually lighten a surface or give greater depth to an interior. On a yacht, where architecture inevitably has to work within defined volumes, these tools take on particular significance. It is another way of working with the same underlying design without altering its fundamental organisation.
Five Interpretations of the Same Volume
Viewed together, the five concepts offer a different way of reading Numarine Atelier. Hot Lab’s focus on materials, Ofist’s geometries, the domestic dimension introduced by Vallicelli Design, Sturge & Toth’s attention to durability and Carla Guilhem Design’s work with light become five different tools for shaping the relationship between people and space. Beneath these interpretations remains the character of the 38XPC and 39MXPC and, with it, Numarine’s experience in the explorer yacht segment. The presence of common constraints makes the differences between the projects even easier to understand.
A material can change the tactile relationship with an interior. The geometry of a piece of furniture can make circulation more intuitive. Light alters the perception of volume. Easy access to a panel becomes important after years of use. These decisions may appear very different, yet they all influence the same outcome: the way a yacht is lived in.
This is perhaps the most interesting way to read Numarine Atelier. Personalisation emerges from the relationship between design choices and the life those spaces are intended to accommodate. Five interpretations of the same architecture therefore become five different answers to one of the central questions of yacht interior design: what does it mean to feel at home when home is at sea?
