As part of its 50 anniversary celebration, the Azimut Benetti Group positioned a 60-foot (18-meter) boat in the middle of one of New York City’s busiest intersections—Times Square. The Azimut S6 was juxtaposed against the city concrete and light spectacle of 43rd and 44th streets from June 6-11. The pop up installation was held in partnership with Design Pavilion and NYCxDesign, bringing together the worlds of art, yachting and design.
Azimut|Benetti Group also partnered with One Ocean Foundation for the Design Pavilion installation in Times Square. One Ocean Foundation develops specific projects that help safeguard marine life, with one of their main goals being to accelerate solutions to ocean issues promoting sustainable blue economy and enhancing knowledge through ocean literacy. By promoting programs for children, Azimut Benetti Group hopes to inspire new generations to engage in the Foundation’s mission of protecting the ocean.
The installation aligns with a broader brand initiative referred to as Azimut Staging Places, in which Azimut yachts are placed in unexpected environments. Being in the heart of Times Square, a place New Yorkers call “The Crossroads of the World,” means being in the symbolic center of the modern world. It is not the final destination, yet it represents a crucial turning point in the net of global cross-pollination. According to Azimut Benetti: “In this continuous and all-pervasive context, the Azimut yacht creates a dialogue with the surrounding city, absorbing and returning hypnotic kaleidoscopes of lights in the center of this urban show. This new form of design expression is consistent with the disruptive choices and codes which have defined Azimut’s successful journey throughout its 50 years history.”
As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, Azimut Yachts has also launched an international competition for young designers who have been tasked with designing a 33-foot (10-meter) day cruiser. As part of the competition, designers are asked to propose either the external lines of the yacht with in-board engines, the living area layout or the interior design. The winner of the competition will be announced in December and win a three-month internship at Azimut.
Five international events have been planned for Azimut|Benetti Group’s 50th Anniversary with the number of events representing each of the decades that Azimut Yachts has been in service, after its founding in 1969 by Paolo Vitelli—Dubai, New York, Cannes, Hong Kong will all be involved, with a grand finale in Italy at the Azimut headquarters in December.
Below, watch the S6 as it moves through the streets of New York en route to Times Square:
