Having massive quantities of unspent cash can be problematic. You’re constantly forced to decide between vexing choices like purchasing that new BMW or Jag, which ten bedroom house you want and in which country to spend your time off. How do you choose a place for your vacation home when there are so many fantastic places on Earth you want to spend your time? For many of the social elite the answer is going mobile; purchasing a state-of-the-art yacht. Face it, few things reek of total opulence and extreme affluence like a pimped out sixty-foot long luxury water pad.
Yet, there is something more outrageous, more spectacular, and more fantastic than your run of the mill yacht – and that’s a luxury mega-yacht constructed of glass.
What’s that you say? You’ve no need for a glass-encased mega yacht? Lujac Desautel disagrees. Desautel is the bright mind behind this innovative conceptual design that is more reminiscent of a penthouse set atop a swanky apartment building than any type of boat you’ve ever seen. The yacht was inspired by, of all things, Lego blocks and the aforementioned apartment penthouses. For his efforts Lujac was nominated for Young Designer of the Year for his concept by Boat International Media. Not bad for an aspiring architect. If he has his way Desautel will change the way we look at luxury yachts. It’s ambitious, but thrilling. Desautel has called his creation GLASS. An appropriate name considering the design.
While there is no word yet on the cost of such a creation – there is no shortage of space or opulence. The yacht contains 5,600 square feet of living space – likely two to three times the size of most modern homes. The most obvious and unique feature is the floor to ceiling glass encasement surrounding the entirety of the structure. The living spaces are designed to be minimalistic, but they won’t be short on luxury amenities. Desautel’s inspiration and architectural tastes appear to run towards simple, effective, yet classy choices in style. It works well for the modern vessel.
The three-tiered yacht towers fifty-feet above the water line and features an unusual stepped front end which could be torn from the boat and placed in front of any museum in America – or so it seems. There are multiple swimming pools, a staircase that transforms to create a large performance stage, and endless views of the ocean. The interior spaces will feature white leather furniture, a piano, and crystal chandeliers. An LED lighting system traces the exterior of the vessel providing another unique feature that allows the yacht to literally glow while out on the water.
Desautel’s design isn’t so much about cramming as many rooms and crap into a pre-designed (and often limited) traditionally-shaped yacht. It’s more about re-examining the iconic nature of the yacht, maximizing living spaces and using the most efficient shapes in architecture, squares and rectangles. Gone is the wedged-shaped design we’ve all grown accustomed to. In its place we find a boxy apartment style structure set on a rectangular base. Remove it from the water and it might easily find a home in the modern urban center you call home. There’s a heavy emphasis on maximizing living space – though it leaves one to wonder how well it will handle the water.
Several cantilevers and overhangs provide open-air balconies and other spaces for entertainment while providing additional shade for the levels below. The middle level is the largest and it overhangs the most – offering spectacular views no matter where you stand. Not only does the GLASS provide unobstructed ocean views – it also mirrors the ocean, creating a one-of-a-kind view from the exterior of the ship. The floor arrangement – based on the concept of the versatility of Lego blocks – stacks levels one on top of the other. This design principle is simple, well-organized and makes the best use of the available spaces. All told the GLASS mega yacht is a sensational and innovative design which, if successful, will reinvent the way we look at high-end watercrafts. Once a design is finalized and a manufacturer is chosen there’s no doubt we’ll see some version of this floating penthouse on the ocean. With the price of super yachts soaring into the hundreds of millions there’s no guessing what the GLASS yacht will sell for – but it won’t be cheap. More curious to us is the ability of the yacht to withstand the rigors of ocean travel. No doubt modern resins and glass design will ensure a safe environment but we can’t imagine the horror of leaking or glass breakage while on the high sea. Once constructed this behemoth will be the talk of the port, and rightly so.