SliceOpeninganeweraforinteriors
Studio De Voogt envisioned Slice as a technically advanced envelope that rethinks the yachting lifestyle. A multi-story atrium staircase is a popular idea, but the best part, the open centre that could bring a feeling of spaciousness to the yacht’s core, is often compromised and crowded with a lift. On Slice, a lift, if requested, can be convenient but out of the way. Staircases port and starboard conceal structure allowing the unique living area of the three-level expanse and its opening terraces amidship to be the feature destination.
And what a destination it is! The floor area on main deck atrium is an astonishing 70m2 and the ceiling soars 8.50m overhead. What a grand salon this would make, or dance floor or library or nightclub or... The flow from the 110m2 pool deck, past the dining area, and through this space to guest suites forward will be unlike anything ever experienced on a yacht before. Bright and beautiful, it will be like walking through a private piazza to reach the suites on this deck and the bridge deck above. On Slice, space equals luxury, and a multifunctional space doubly so.
Slice’s multilevel living areas offer the drama and life- style of an upscale urban loft or a grand estate. It could be wrapped in romantic Venetian plaster or edgy steel and glass, or anything in between. Offering a unique environment to be personalized by a forward-thinking owner and designer.
“If you do not think about your future, you cannot have one.”John Galsworthy ~ Nobel Laureate, literature
Windows on the world
A new twist on luxury that was first explored on the Choice Concept and then refined on last year’s Pure, windows, like beauty, are in the eye of the beholder. Rather than constrain exterior lines with bands of windows or a staggering series of portlights, Slice presents a clean, knife-like profile. Her flush window openings are disguised by a special exterior masking film that allows them to vanish into the exterior, except, of course, where they are used to make a statement at the starboard entrance and interior centre of vertical circulation.
When in doubt, cut it out
Folding terraces at water level are complicated to make and maintain. In the up position enclosing the hull, they turn a beach club into a cave. If the hull can function just as well with the terrace doors open, are they necessary? Why not open the space 24/7 expanding both the views and the lifestyle options for the pool deck, or is it decks? What if instead of repeating the aft seating areas on lower and main deck, the pool deck has a cathedral ceiling and a mezzanine deck, or is it a DJ balcony, that becomes the main deck entrance?
Everything in its place
Why should the stairways get the best views? Do you ever wonder why exterior staircases hug the side of the decks? They prevent guests from getting to the rail for a great view and crew have to dance around them to handle lines and fenders. If that’s not enough, isn’t the motion less on centreline? Of course it is, and that’s why it makes more sense to locate the stairs for decks above main on centre- line. The opening around them creates a natural atrium effect bringing light to the decks below.
Carve out a new approach
Among the most intensely designed spaces on a yacht are the alfresco living areas at the stern. Designed to be sheltered from the wind when the yacht is underway or at anchor, they are anything but sheltered in port where anyone on the quay gets an unfettered view. Yacht owners told tales of how the delightful aft deck lifestyle they had imagined was quickly scuttled by the passing parade of tourists or the clatter of commercial vehicles on the dock. What if their superyacht could moor bow in, just like the typical weekend runabout docked in a municipal marina? What if indeed?
A yacht can be moored just as snuggly at the bow and an extra warping windlass at the stern can manage a mooring buoy or temporary ground tackle. In fact, a passerelle at the bow would offer much better access than Slice’s low stern. With her high covered bow raised to create a garage for tenders, there is plenty of room to house a retracting passerelle. Imagine the surprise, however when a section of the black-painted stem hinges open and embarking guests scamper down a short boarding platform and disappear into the secure privacy of the main deck corridor. Now more than 85 metres from passersby and obscured by the mass of the yacht itself, the aft living areas are back to being the stuff of dreams
Parting the seas
Even at its lower deck position, the enormous centreline pool could be sensitive to sloshing. The solution is now so integral to the stern design, it’s hard to tell what came first, the pool walkway or the stunning entry arch. Both crafted in wood, the design almost evokes a medieval drawbridge that in its lowered position spans the pool. Not only is the pool plank a cool feature and a wonderful place to sit in its partially submerged position, but its underside is also specifically designed to dampen the movement of water. The pool surround, plank and the entry arch can be clad in teak or any material of the owner’s choosing, but elsewhere Feadship is committed to exploring other, more environmentally friendly deck materials.
Let there be light
Slice is a concept, an illustration of the way a modern yachting family might enjoy life aboard ten years from now. It is thoroughly developed, however, and could be delivered in 2026. Every level has been considered for bringing light into the interior; even the Jacuzzi pool on the forward owner’s deck is sliced to feature a glass bottom that cascades light below. Slice works on all planes.
The upper deck is envisioned as a retreat reserved for the fortunate owners. It begins with a private 9.85-metre-long deck forward encompassing a generous pool measuring 4.3 x 2.3 metre. There is plenty of room for sun beds as well as covered and open seating. The sleeping area is afforded magnificent 180-degree views. An open living area under a skylight features opening balconies port and starboard. Aft in the accommodation are ensuite facilities overlooking a private aft deck.
