Italy

Renzo Piano

A 23.96-metre yacht, constructed with a wooden hull and superstructure, is currently in build at the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/970" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Costruzioni Navali Tigullio - Castagnola (Company)">Castagnola</a> shipyard in Lavagna Italy. The yacht Zattera, is the creation of naval architects&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2051" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="NAMES by Francesco Rogantin (Company)">NAMES by Francesco Rogantin</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/153" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nauta Yachts S.r.l. (Company)">Nauta Design</a>, who penned the yacht’s interior and exterior design.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/208722/image/large-905c4e3022ff6ab9c6fef3a9e1a831f8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/208722">The idea for the yacht was initially thought up by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1208" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Renzo Piano (Company)">Renzo Piano</a> and Olav Selvaag, who were inspired by the idea of relaxing in silence and harmony by the sea. Zattera, which is Italian for ‘raft’, is an ode to the fundamental aspect of yachting, simplicity, while still providing a comfortable, luxurious experience.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/208726/image/large-9109b264505598ea685134e5f3b6353f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/208726">Minimising the vessel’s environmental impact was essential to this. A hybrid <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1981" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Siemens (Company)">Siemens</a> propulsion system has been selected, which serves to reduce carbon emissions as well as sound pollution. Zattera is kitted out with lithium-ion batteries and is capable of cruising in silent mode using &nbsp;electric-only power. She is capable of reaching a top speed of 12 knots and a cruising speed of 10.5 knots. The yacht will also feature solar panels, further subsidising the yacht’s energy consumption.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/208723/image/large-8f60e6e0d3ef98d50ce43604ed3d6388.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/208723">Zattera accommodates her guests across three staterooms. Her interior further emphasises the connection to sea as the floor line in the main saloon is at the same height as the waterline. A large skylight is situated at the centre of the room, providing additional natural light.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/208721/image/large-272eed4e44b1bac93f836041021cc689.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/208721">Characterised by clean exterior lines, the yacht’s bow has been optimised to reduce resistance and emphasise sternward flow. Features typical of sailing yachts, such as masts and derricks, have been included to load and unload the yacht’s tender as well as accommodate awnings fore and aft.

24m hybrid yacht Zattera currently in-build at Castagnola

The 24m hybrid yacht Zattera, constructed of wood, is currently under construction at Castagnola in Italy.

24m wooden hybrid yacht Zattera in-build

“The part of architecture that interests me the most is found in sociology and ethics: it is about addressing a human being with human needs.” So says Francesca Muzio, Genoa-born architect and entrepreneur, and co-founder of celebrated interior design studio, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4308" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="FM Architettura (Company)">FM Architettura d’Interni</a>. SuperYacht Times had the pleasure of interviewing Muzio alongside her business partner and husband, Luca Boldrini, who is best known in the industry for his roles as Brand Manager for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/584" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Pershing S.p.a. (Company)">Pershing</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/12" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="CRN Spa (Company)">CRN</a> Sales Director and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/51" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Perini Navi (Company)">Perini Navi</a> Sales Director. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/203590/image/large-00ab45ff8977c5e0eecfc2bb8849fee7.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/203590">Hitting the yachting headlines recently for their selection as lead interior designers for the 293-metre private residential <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/82" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Espen Øino International (Company)">Espen Øino</a>-designed superyacht Njord, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4308" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="FM Architettura (Company)">FM Architettura</a> came into being in 2010. Since then, they have been responsible for over 150 bespoke design projects across 14 countries and 19 cities worldwide, covering yachting, hospitality and high-end residential projects. Prior to the birth of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4308" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="FM Architettura (Company)">FM Architettura</a>, which has an office in Milan and is headquartered in Ancona, Muzio carried the accolade of having managed the design of 112 superyachts during her stint as Creative Director at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/12" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="CRN Spa (Company)">CRN</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/112" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Custom Line Spa (Company)">Custom Line</a>, of the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4876" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ferretti Group (Company)">Ferretti Group</a>. Fast forward to today, and Muzio has accrued more than 20 years of interior design experience, including recent projects with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> and Mandarin Oriental. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/203589/image/large-d0fbe9bf6dedcff01d0498fae2d49179.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/203589">Joining forces&nbsp;For Muzio, design has always been a collaborative exercise, with her early career alliances including cruise ship design legend Giacomo Mortola, Italian architect <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1208" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Renzo Piano (Company)">Renzo Piano</a>, and the design studio 5+1 Architetti Associati. This trend has been imbued into &nbsp;the way Muzio manages <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4308" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="FM Architettura (Company)">FM Architettura</a> today, working alongside artisans local to the studio in Ancona. “We have created a network of more than 300 artisans in our studio: we design and make our beautiful bespoke pieces with them,” Muzio explains.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/203591/image/large-d7f9ab580a4d3a45c4ab630e745e5e3d.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/203591"><ul><li><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Article/53270" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="World premier: Feadship's 65m Freedom interior unveiled with FM Architettura (2021-07-02 11:15:00 +0200)">World premier: Feadship's 65m Freedom interior unveiled with FM Architettura</a></li></ul>As Boldrini articulates, this endeavour is also about protecting a distinctly Italian culture of craftsmanship which would otherwise be vulnerable to being swallowed up by the pressures of modernisation. “This is a patrimony of our country. If it is not fed, it will disappear, and it is something we need to sustain. We have a responsibility towards preserving our culture.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/203592/image/large-081073200e2a6ec5b3aec60da9187778.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/203592"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/203597/image/large-acadff9bbff6cf890fedc1501d5f3f05.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/203597">Safeguarding sustainability&nbsp;For both Muzio and Boldrini, this sense of responsibility also extends to sustainable practice in yacht design: an impulse which predated, but was encouraged by, the global pandemic. “The pandemic has made people understand that there is a need to safeguard our health, our minds, and our world. Architects and designers have been pushed to create something sustainable,” Boldrini says. As a consequence, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4308" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="FM Architettura (Company)">FM Architettura</a> is implementing bio-cabinetry alongside other sustainable practices.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/203593/image/large-38f09b31118f806988a377c909a667f8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/203593"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/203596/image/large-4eecd49cd58539c1e5aff2bf089298c0.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/203596">Unfinished beauty&nbsp;As you might expect for someone with well over 100 superyachts in her portfolio, Muzio maintains incredibly high standards across all of her designs. This does not mean, however, that every project needs to have all the i's dotted and all the t's crossed. In fact, one of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4308" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="FM Architettura (Company)">FM Architettura</a>’s most recent projects represents a radical departure from concept of completion or closure in yacht design. As Muzio explains: “It is an expedition yacht for a gentleman and his family, and we will not finish this interior design, because it will be completed with objects that the owner will find on his travels around the world.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/203594/image/large-4b115391fc4a6d7e81cae55ed4d7d24b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/203594">As we slowly usher in a post-pandemic world in which travelling with your family embodies both the ultimate luxury and ultimate freedom, there are certain designers who are listening carefully to the needs of their clients and reshaping superyacht design accordingly. Here, Muzio offers the final word: “Memories are the most important design details that you can ever have on board, and these need to be collected. You can drink your whiskey from a glass which is a family heirloom: it’s not chic, it’s not branded, but this is luxury in the end.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/203595/image/large-25a9ea17a65573b46f68ef2c67cf2a0b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/203595">This article was originally published in the Autumn 2021 issue of The SuperYacht Times newspaper. To receive all future issues straight to your door, <a href="https://shop.superyachttimes.com/" target="_blank">subscribe to the newspaper here</a>.

FM Architettura d'Interni interview

SYT interviews Francesco Muzio of FM Architettura d’Interni alongside her business partner and husband, Luca Boldrini.