VSY & the Technical Challenges of Glass on Superyachts

At the latest Super Yacht Design Symposium held in October in Palm Beach, Viareggio Superyacht's Managing Director, Federico Bennewitz, explained how to overcome the technical challenges of using glass as a construction material on the 72m Stella Maris.

Invited to join the speakers panel on “The use of glass on super yachts”, Bennewitz shared with the audience some of the problems faced and the solutions taken in order to meet with the client’s main wishes to have a villa-like feeling on the yacht, to maximize the pleasure of life on board in all seasons of the year, to assure the best privacy for himself and his guests and to have a certified helideck.

The project - entrusted to the expertise of the architect Espen Øino in cooperation with Laurent Giles Naval Architects – has in fact been developed to blend traditional elements of design and layout with new variations on a theme - such as the staggered internal decks, the ceiling height in the main saloons raised to 270cm and the large glass walls and windows.

The internal and external spaces of Stella Maris has in fact been interpreted in a very unconventional way, introducing spectacular glass walls, such as in the two main saloons and the Owner’s cabin, thus allowing the eye to see and enjoy beyond what would normally be a rigid barrier. To implement the owner’s vision entirely, a climate-controlled veranda and a vertical garden have also been included, to enjoy green landscapes at sea with real house-plants crossing the decks, besides providing home-size furniture for the interior.

All of this has meant confronting a list of substantial challenges, like: weight increase and naval architecture, reduced glass thermal insulation, acoustic protection and privacy, structural design and selection and specifications of the type of glass to be used, especially considering that the yacht is also equipped with a certified helideck.

The very good results obtained on Stella Maris, currently under construction and to be launched for the coming season, are leading VSY to consider a new family feeling represented by a design based on a “villa on the sea” concept, including large glass walls to be used on board.

For more information, please visit Viareggio Superyachts.