On the occasion of the launch of Chopi Chopi, the new CRN flagship in Ancona, Italy, in January, Bernardo Zuccon shared his thoughts. The following are his comments, edited for style.

“This vessel, which I would describe as “timeless” because of its balanced vocabulary and volumes and attentive to all the connotations of the contemporary (transparency, flexibility, external and internal ratios, etc.…) once again reinforces my concept of product design as the result of a clear, correct fusion of linguistics with functional ergonomics.”
— Gianni Zuccon, designer of the 262-foot (80-meter) MY Chopi Chopi.

The 262-foot (80-meter) CRN marks a milestone for Zuccon International Project as the studio’s biggest yacht so far. The studio designed the yacht’s internal layout and defined its outer profile, and in both cases its attention was focused on the search for a design vocabulary that would maintain ties with the shipyard’s long history and tradition, underlining once again how important it is to innovate in this sector without losing sight of the goal of designing a product that represents both a synthesis and an evolution of the distinctive features that defined the brand in the past. The set-up of the crew area is very important when defining the compartmentalization of a yacht of this size, as it must provide quarters for more than 30 people, in this case, on the lower deck in direct contact with the engine room and the garage. On this type of vessel design of utility spaces is very important, because there must be a work area for the crew on every deck, with links between all the decks which are completely separate from the connections used by guests on board the boat. In the same way, guests’ movements are resolved with a big lobby that has a staircase and an elevator connecting all the decks, starting with the lowerdeck, with an entrance directly in contact with the sea, up to the sundeck, providing the perfect link between the many activities inevitably available on board a262-foot (80-meter) yacht. At the stern on the lower deck is a large area for guests with a spa, a gym and a beach club opening up to offer direct contact with the sea, underlining once again that whatever the size of the boat, it is important to create a product in which flexible construction and versatility can overcome the barriers that separate man from the context in which any boat is intended to be used: the sea.

This essential fact also inspires the set-up of the main deck, where physical and visual links between man and the sea are promoted not only by the big windows in the living area but by the presence of patios, both built-in and opening out from the guest suites, offering guests an opportunity to enjoy contact with the sea even when in their own cabins. The upper deck also responds to this desire for “openness” in the design of the dining room, just forward of the lobby, with its big sliding glass doors windows; when they are open the indoor and outdoor spaces truly become one. Compared to the CRN tradition, the layout of the cockpit introduces a truly new theme, with a circular captain’s bridge like the ones typically found on big cruise ships, offering the captain and his crew a better view at sea. This choice underlines the fact that the goal of design must be conceiving the product as the result of a clear merger of linguistic considerations with ergonomic and functional factors.

The need to design space on the basis of the owner’s needs and desires led to a deck intended exclusively for the owner, including not only a suite measuring about 2,583 square feet (240 square meters) but two outdoor areas, at the prow and stern, with a hydro-massage tub and a lounge area. Lastly, also connected with the same lobby starting on the lower deck, the sun deck revolves around the mass of the mast, the volume of which is integrated in the functions of the bar, swimming pool and sundeck. In linguistic terms, the 262-foot vessel is designed on the basis of the conviction that a new product must always be motivated by the attempt to achieve a wise balance between history and innovation, between a brand’s tradition and the new opportunities offered by technology; this vessel is the product of formal research in pursuit of a synthesis between “large-scale” volumetric characterization, almost like the physiognomy of an urban skyline, and study of “small-scale” linguistic detail, the equivalent of painstaking molding of an architectural detail.

For more on the CRN 80, see our article here.

Zuccon International Project: Past, Present and Future

Founded in Rome in 1972 by the architects Gianni Zuccon and his wife Paola Galeazzi, Zuccon International Project Project is a group of highly skilled multidisciplinary architects and industrial designers, a group that now includes Gianni’s and Paola’s son Bernardo. Active in various sectors–including designs for offices and residential architecture–today, they are working extensively with five of the eight brands of the Ferretti Group.

Bernardo Zuccon has released several concepts over the past few years including the 177-foot (54-meter) Discovery. The design grew from his similar 40- and 46-meter projects, but Discovery concentrates even more so on spaces that promote continuity between the indoors and outdoors. According to Bernardo, “The sea will always be the one thing that never changes, and the human relationship with it and its specific features will always be the key for all designers. The modus operandi will offer new content in every case, but awareness of the ‘Place’ where the vessel is located can never be neglected. At least not until there are boats that can fly!”

On the heels of Chopi Chopi‘s launch, Zuccon International Project has announced the Zuccon Superyacht Design brand. This new division of Zuccon will focus exclusively on the development of new maxi yacht projects.

For more information, visit zucconinternationalproject.com