Young Talents, Thomas Smith (12)

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[ YOUNG TALENTS ]

NEW AGE LUXURY:

THEORY AND PRACTICE Thomas Smith is a recently graduated British designer who honed his skills during an internship with Team 4 Design by Enrico Gobbi in Italy. His holistic approach has now produced a genuinely intriguing, award-winning luxury cruise liner concept

by Désirée Sormani The young designer, above, accepting Contech’s 2017 Steve Olney Award for Harmony, a cruise liner design detailed here. The project focuses on wellbeing and health to create a haven of tranquillity

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[ YOUNG TALENTS ]

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eft to their own devices, young designers often produce

wellbeing and health to create a haven of tranquillity,” he tells us.

beautiful work of astounding creativity. Thomas Smith is

The 100-passenger vessel has an LOA of 200 metres and stretches

one such pen. His creative output, however, is underpinned by

25 metres in the beam as well as offering three penthouse suites,

solid grounding in design fundamentals gained first at Coventry

10 guest suites and 10 guest rooms.

University and then during a three-month internship with Team 4

“Harmony was my Final Year Major Project. It started as a 10,000

Design – Enrico Gobbi in Venice. After being awarded a first class

word thesis looking into a theory of New Age luxury. The idea of

Masters in Design recently, he was snapped up by Spirit Yachts of

creating well-being through principles like biophilia and Feng Shui

England where he has been working on the likes of the Spirit 111,

and a clear connection to nature using principles such as wide open

soon to be one of the largest single-mast wooden yachts ever built.

spaces, better use of natural light, natural materials and planting.”

While still at university, Smith designed the stunning Harmony

The vessel’s defining feature is a huge canopy that engulfs the

Concept which won him Contech’s 2017 Steve Olney Award. “The

yacht, creating a spectacular exterior aesthetic that still allows

pursuit of sanctuary and refuge is a journey that humanity has taken

huge amounts of light to be drawn into the interior. Almost all the

for centuries. However, today that ultimate goal of peace seems

interior has enormous glass windows yet Smith has also crafted

further away than ever. Harmony, a luxury cruise liner inspired by

large atrium spaces in a very successful bid to deliver a theatrical

the biophilia hypothesis (that humans have an innate tendency to

flourish on this relatively compact cruise liner. Passengers will have

seek connections with nature and other forms of life - ed) showcases

plenty of areas where they can socialise, as well as dining rooms,

a new form of luxury design. A holistic approach that focuses on

gyms and spas. Each guest cabin is a large en-suite double room

with private balcony, while the guest suites are located aft and offer three rooms. They comprise a master cabin with dressing room located on the mezzanine above the lounge which includes a large dining area and office space in addition. The lounge has dramatic angled double height glazing and is preceded by a bar area and galley. The latter sits behind a large glass enclosure with lots of greenery. The lounge itself is simple and elegant with teak decking creating a unique private sensory beach where passengers can meditate as they gaze out to sea.

Harmony reveals much about the direction luxury yacht design may go in coming years. A more holistic design process is in the offing with well-being a priority and a growing emphasis on the interaction between exterior and interior. All to the benefit of those who reside aboard, of course.

The idea was to create wellbeing through principles, like biophilia and Feng Shui, as well as a clear connection to nature using principles such as wide open spaces, better use of natural light and materials, and planting. Passengers will have plenty of areas where they can socialise in addition to dining rooms, gyms and spas.

The lounge features dramatic angled double height glazing

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