A L U M I N I U M
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ALU MIN IUM
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ISS UE - n° 30 - 202 2 - € 10
Filippo Salvetti in his Bergamo studio. A team of four designers works with him, handling various elements of the project, from sketches to modelling the yachts. He’s now working exclusively with the Ferretti Group for the Ferretti Yachts and Custom Line brands
by Désirée Sormani
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[ CREATIVE MINDS: FILIPPO SALVETTI ]
OUR WORK IS BASED ON KNOWLEDGE,
DESIGN ANALYSES AND EXPLORATION. AND,
LIKE ALCHEMISTS, WE
DETECT THE PRESENCE OF A SMALL ELEMENT
OF MAGIC – AND THIS MAY MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
by Désirée Sormani
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[ CREATIVE MINDS ]
I
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t’s better to take away than to add! This is the motto adopted by
“Just because something is simple doesn’t mean it lacks expressive
Filippo Salvetti, one that he first encountered in Officina Italiana
force. In fact, the simplification process is difficult and if done well
Design, the studio owned by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta,
makes the product easy to decode and understand. The simplicity of
where he was born and raised as a yacht designer. “I think it’s the
the shapes on Mauro’s yachts, for example, is a great strength”. He
most important lesson I learnt when I was working with Mauro”, says
also created these clean, balanced shapes at Neo Design, the studio he
Salvetti. “Before graduating in architecture and interior design I started
later founded in 2009 with Marco Biaggi, with whom he worked on
working with industrial architecture and design studios and taught
various Azimut Atlantis models and Benetti Innovation megayachts.
design software in Italian car design studios and companies. This work
Salvetti now continues alone, backed by a team of four designers,
sparked my interest in automotive design and helped me understand the
and still holds true to this reasoning. “Designing yachts involves a
workflow from initial sketch to virtual reality or physical prototype”.
sort of alchemy, a complex system expressed through the languages
Then after gaining his degree, in 2002 Filippo joined OID, and here he
of several disciplines. At the basis lies the initial idea, which leads to
was gripped by a new passion – yacht design. “In Officina I learnt to
an exploration of innovative shapes and functions. The most delicate
design and develop yachts. It was fascinating to watch Mauro working
phase is transforming the idea into reality and making it something it’s
at the drawing board, just as he was when he worked Giorgio Barilani
practical to make, always bearing in mind the brand you’re working
in the Riva yard style centre. He also taught me how to work with
for, its financial and stylistic restrictions. This philosophy obviously
French curves, instruments that enable you to design by hand rather
appealed to the Ferretti Group – in 2018 Salvetti began his fruitful,
than use computer programmes. But Mauro was an artist first and
exclusive collaboration with the Ferretti Yachts brand, and then also
foremost, he learnt yacht design at the yard. That’s why I think his work
with the Custom Line brand, which tasked him with bringing new
displays a special characteristic – his yachts are inspired by an artistic
energy and appeal to the navette’s lines. “Working on a renewed
approach where the most important element is a balance of shapes,
line is never easy, especially when you’re talking about an illustrious
light and dark and proportions. I tried to assimilate that”. When
brand that’s made a huge contribution to the history of Italian and
he talks about his years at Officina Italiana Design Salvetti’s words
international yacht building. But looking at the brand’s heritage as an
express a sort of admiration and gratitude, describing an experience to
evolutionary source of its distinctive lines, studying it and making it
be treasured – for him, simplicity and coherence of form are crucial.
ours was a crucial element in choosing a starting point for our work.
Filippo Salvetti Design is exclusively responsible for the sporty yet soft, gentle lines of the Ferretti Yachts 860. A new stylistic element in the yacht’s profile allows the large lounge windows to bring in more light and give greater visibility to the raised deck inside. Above and below, two large external areas.
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[ CREATIVE MINDS ]
Above and below, the Ferretti Yachts 580. Forward, the seat cushions are framed under the window to create a spacious, comfortable sofa, gaining more space forward compared to other yachts in the class. A sporty yacht which nevertheless offers large outdoor areas
We’re rather good at adapting ourselves to the brand and not giving into
in height compared to the saloon, is often aesthetically resolved with a
the temptation to add our own style”. Now Salvetti has been asked to
fibreglass panel that starts from below under the windshield and stops
change course and usher in a new era for Ferretti Yachts, starting with
as it goes up towards the flybridge fin dividing the two areas, sometimes
the Ferretti Yachts 860 and the Ferretti Yachts 580, which we’ll soon
designed in a fluid, continuous way, sometimes nervous and fragmented
be seeing on the water. “The Ferretti Yachts 860 originated on a sheet
– but this takes away some light inside. Here, though, we instinctively
of paper, a sketch, which is the most natural and expressive gesture we
thought of a new sign, an upside-down U above the saloon window
have at our disposition, and it may be the only way to capture the initial
ending in a thin fibreglass strip forward. This leaves the saloon windows
creative idea in a moment and for ever. We wanted to start to design in
entirely free and enhances the visibility on deck. The Ferretti Yachts 580
freedom, without conditions, and only after identifying the driving theme
restates these stylistic elements, reinterpreted in a single gesture. Here the
did we work as a team to transform it into the new Ferretti Yachts. The
theme is the flybridge design, a sort of knife, which is the yacht’s stylistic
theme was to find a stylistic form that characterised the separation of
concept. It’s shifted towards the stern then starts straight and rises to the
the windows between the raised helm area and the saloon. This type of
flybridge. The theme derives from previous yachts, but here it has become
yacht structure, in fact, where the wheelhouse is marked by a slight rise
a single, simple gesture providing the yacht’s origin.
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