by Julia Zaltzman
OMEGA ARCHITECTS
DESIGN OF THE TIMES
OMEGA ARCHITECTS HAS SUCCESSFULLY CARVED OUT A NICHE FOR ITSELF BY DELIVERING YACHT DESIGNS WHERE CREATIVITY IS BALANCED WITH HUMILITY AND EXPERIENCE. THE RESULT IS CONTINUAL AND PROLIFIC SUCCESS.
“O
ne of our signatures is that we make mid-leaning designs, meaning that the optical centre of gravity of the yacht’s superstructure is somewhere in the middle”, explains Frank Laupman, founder and director of Dutch studio Omega Architects. Focused on creating architectural design for both land and sea, the creative design firm is one of the most prolific in its field. Laupman has made a name for himself and his studio as one that does not adhere to a specific style, but instead fine-tunes its designs to the style and requirements of each specific commission. Listening to the briefs from owners, captains and shipyards, it follows a set design process that results in the very opposite to fixed design; one of fluidity, adaptability, innovation and stylistic independence.
The team of architects and designers within Omega work as one, exchanging their thoughts and learning from specific expertise and experience within the group to create an aesthetic that contains a “shared identity”. The portfolio encompasses land-based architecture, interior and exterior yacht design, but it is the latter where Omega has truly carved out a niche.
93
The aforementioned “optical centre of gravity” designed to draw the eye to the middle of a yacht is in reference to its design of Dutch shipyard Heesen’s 50m fast-cruising aluminium semi-displacement yacht, Aquamarine. Defined by its “crisp design language”, it is the first in the yard’s new 5000 Aluminium Class, due to deliver in January 2021, and forms part of a long line of Omega-designed Heesen exteriors.
SUPERYACHT DIGEST |
October 2020