Feadship concept design Pure: The power of now

Designed to inspire the next generation of owners, the first Feadship Future Concept was unveiled in 2006. Since then, the fortune tellers at Feadship have consistently emboldened people to reimagine what is possible in the superyacht world. The hybrid propulsion predicated on F-stream in 2007, for instance, set the tone for the radical fuel consumption reductions unveiled on Breathe in 2010. And all this was then uniquely proven in practice on the Feadship Savannah five years later, which was the world’s first luxury motoryacht with hybrid power. 

Further still

Other prescient concepts have inspired Feadship clients to break new ground in areas such as eco-friendly design, multi-functional spaces, outdoor entertainment, slender hulls, privacy, autonomous living and all-glass superstructures. While each was based on client feedback, brainstorm sessions and in-depth research, the newest member of the design portfolio goes a little further still, as designer Jan Schaffers explains… 

“At Feadship we are used to designing totally bespoke yachts for clients with every aspect driven by their individual desires. Pure synthesises all the know-how gained in recent times over the types of spaces and exteriors which owners ask for in the purest way possible, following the red thread of these wishes. Many of us are inherently reluctant to truly explore what our actual needs are and Pure takes a deep dive down this path. To slightly paraphrase the famous Steve Jobs quote, ‘people don’t always know what they want until you actually show them.’

“Pure is not, however, a flight of our collective fantasy. From the awesome open-plan spaces to the future-compatible propulsion and lower deck command centre, the Studio De Voogt design team have worked closely with the Knowledge & Innovation department and engineering experts at Feadship as well as current and new suppliers to ensure each solution proposed is realistic and would actually work in practice now.”

Lines of connection 

The essence of Pure is the unparalleled visual and social connections offered by her open onboard architecture and three-deck atrium, a feat which is very challenging to achieve on a yacht. From structural integrity to fire & safety regulations, all the parameters involved have been meticulously calculated. As futuristic as it may look in the renderings, the Feadship yards could actually start building Pure tomorrow. 

The technical key to making the design work is the two central elements around which the rest of the yacht can be built, not dissimilar to the way tower blocks have large elevators and stair shafts at their core. These structural components are also home to the main deck bar (port) and main staircase (starboard), serve as the fire and mandatory zones, incorporate the casings and offer discrete crew routing. The development has even gone as far as to include contrasting textures for inside and outdoor facing surfaces.

Inside out

With this essential structural and practical foundation in place, the creators of Pure have certainly made the most of the myriad possibilities on offer. As anyone who has seen recent triumphs such as Pi, Zen and VIVA will testify, Feadship has chalked up some remarkable design achievements in deploying giant slabs of glass as part of the exterior structure. Pure now does the same with the interior, with glass becoming an interchangeable aspect of the space.

Located half inside, half out, an extraordinary elliptical glass atrium connects all lines of sight across three decks. The way the giant glass facade cuts through adds to the sense of connection with each other and the environment, and together with the flood of light makes the whole boat feel open. At the same time, owners and guests can always find privacy in retreats like the balconies – one with a jacuzzi, the other with seating – which close off with glass doors.

“We set out to create a perfectly balanced interior with incredible spaces for everyone,” adds Schaffers. “Exceptional views are available from wherever you stand along with a sense of wonder about how the spaces are actually working that stimulates you to explore. We developed this design with a mix of joy and tenacity, determined to adjust every angle until it works to perfection. This is an environment which is equally suitable for hosting amazing parties or displaying exciting art collections. Pure is a place for all seasons and all people.”

Windows to the world 

All these sensations and much more besides are hidden from onlookers because Pure is as solid on the outside as she is open on the in. Minimalist at first glance, the profile is decidedly sculptural with a remarkably strong character. The lines are drawn as simple as possible in order to generate an air of calm. They merge seamlessly with the volumes – which make the yacht instantly recognisable from afar – and some highly finessed twisted surfaces. A set of underwater anchors avoid the need for pockets in the side while the windows are genuinely flush, a significant factor that sets Feadship ahead of the curve according to Bram Jongepier, senior specialist at De Voogt. 

“Many yards claim to offer flush windows but in fact have a small offset of four to five centimetres, leaving about one centimetre in tolerance. Starting with the build of Venus, launched in 2012, Feadship redefined the meaning of ‘flush’. Our windows have no offset to the surface, giving a tolerance of around the millimetre mark. And on Pure we’re moving the dial further by baking a pattern on the glass using a ceramic composition called frit. This is black on the inside like a tinted window – enabling those on board to see out – yet white on the outside so people cannot look inside. The colour scheme matches the overall sculptural shaping so the windows are virtually imperceptible from the outside unless you are very close up.” 

Taken as a whole, the negligible amount of exterior detailing generates an optical illusion and a loss of one’s sense of scale. Approaching Pure’s stripped-back exterior, guests will be unsure of how large the yacht is, further enhancing the deep magic when they discover the spellbinding space that lies within. A little like Lucy entering Narnia for the first time…