Studio Liaigre were the winners of the Elite Yacht Design Award at The design et al Elite Awards 2023.

Behind the name SL 44, is a 44.5 metre superyacht entirely made of aluminium, built by the Italian shipyard San Lorenzo, with interiors designed by Liaigre. The client had one requirement: to combine Asian style with a French touch. The Liaigre team took up the challenge and realised the dream of a hedonist eager to express his idea of absolute refinement.

Guillaume Rolland who directs Liaigre’s yachting design studio, is a keen sailor and lover of the sea. He qualifies boats as “the last spaces of freedom”. Here, it is all about smoothness: the SL44 expresses its ease and freedom to move through its design and layout. There are no sharp angles, just curves that give a feeling of softness; determined by optimal ergonomics and the desire to stir emotions through its architecture. The SL44 was designed as a floating apartment where each room gives on to a different viewpoint. This architectural concept is unique for a yacht this size.

For Studio Liaigre, the consistency of a project rests on intentionally limited materials. SL44 is based on wood, stone and leather. The palette starts with dark and light wood, warming to dark hues without forgetting a palette of whites particularly outdoors. A dialogue between Asian culture and French style is expressed through refined details such as the door frames which have a slightly narrower base, referencing Asian architecture. In the living room, two crystal terrariums hold a nod to the Bonsai tradition. The chosen wood species link Asian and French aesthetics, combining varnished eucalyptus and light elm that recall the tradition of 18th-century woodwork. With clean shapes and apparent simplicity, the splendour of the layout is revealed through subtle details which characterise Liaigre’s approach to luxury design. There are light ambiences for the day rooms, darker ones for the spaces dedicated to nightlife and parties. Everything about this superyacht is about relaxation and the art of living.

Sailing requirements are based on comfort and the ability to offer moments of conviviality and time to rest. Liaigre places people in the centre of its projects, which leads architects and designers to predict their movement within a space. Optimised space is crucial when it comes to the interior architecture, fittings and furniture for a yacht. The design of the SL44 respects the principles of an architecture that is both structured and open. The owner’s cabin is 147m2, spread out on three levels, including indoor and outdoor spaces. The fluidity of the spaces is strengthened by transparency – partitions are never against the structure of the boat, they are perforated and become part of the space like floating panels, giving a feeling of well-being that emanates from the whole layout.

Exterior Designer / Naval Architect: Zuccon International Project
Interior Designer: Studio Liaigre
Shipyard: Sanlorenzo
Photographer Credit: Mark Seelen, Guillaume Plisson

Studio Liaigre

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