Art Deco demonstrates greater durability than any other design movement. The Empire State Building in New York City and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald best symbolise the post-war period. The yachts Phoenix 2, Sycara IV, and Malahne are remarkable examples of how well its bold hues and precise geometric shapes translate to the world of sailing.
But Christian Leyk’s Steamer 888 289-foot yacht concept pushes the concept to its limits. “What would the Chrysler Building look like if it were placed horizontally on the water?” questions the designer. His response was that it embodies an era that was influenced by nautical themes.
Leyk tells Robb Report, “I believe the Chrysler Building is the most beautiful skyscraper ever constructed.” There was something truly unique about the way elegance and innovation blended so harmoniously back then.
The name Steamer 888 is derived from the steam railroads of the 1930s. The ‘radiator’ on the front of the sundeck cocktail bar and the curved handrail on the yacht’s floating staircase give homage to trains, specifically the Henry Dreyfuss-designed New York Central Hudson 4-6-4 steam locomotive.
Other Art Deco elements include the curved, raised swimming pool with a mosaic floor on the main deck aft. With its white ceramic tiles and looped step handrails, it resembles British public bathhouses in more ways than one. The tiles continue onto a sunken floor area that, according to Leyk, can be used as a water feature to reflect sunlight or retained as a decorative element.
“I’ve grown tired of seeing infinity pools on yachts because they don’t work,” he says. “A large body of water requires a two-foot wall or it will spread onto the deck, so the tiled pool with its high walls is an attractive and practical option.”
Leyk draws inspiration from the aircraft Lockheed Super Constellation, while the repetition of triangular shapes on the flooring, transom, and Sat domes support an Art Deco design language. A technical storage box beneath the mast has the chromed appearance of a classic Dualite toaster from the 1950s, replete with air vents.
“Art Deco is a common motif in yachting, but ninety percent of the time it’s executed improperly,” he says. I wanted to construct a concept that is both aesthetically pleasing and authentically Art Deco.
The tri-deck yacht may resemble an antique model, but it is equipped with contemporary amenities. There are two large salons, a full-beam owner’s suite, a beach club with a fitness centre, and a touch-and-go helipad on the sundeck, which is illuminated by glass balustrades and a translucent glass floor.
The yacht is effective for long-distance cruising due to its sleek and narrow fast displacement hull. According to Leyk, this indicates that the 289-foot yacht feels more like a 200-foot yacht. He believes proprietors are willing to make this sacrifice in order to avoid “cramming volume” and “adding too many decks.”
French design studio Silvia Iraghi Interiors coupled the monochrome exterior with an appropriately cinematic interior. Rounded furniture and gentle shapes that complement the exterior decoration. The surfaces are composed of marble and wood, while the ceiling is comprised of individual backlit resin panels.
Iraghi tells Robb Report, “I wanted to give the interior space a sense of fluidity while playing with material, texture, and geometry to connect one room to the next and enhance the guest experience.”
The first collaboration between Iraghi and Leyk is Steamer 888. Leyk, who began his career in the studio of master yacht designer Evan Marshall and spent a decade as lead designer for another superstar yacht designer, Ken Freivokh, takes delight in creating concepts that reflect the individuality of the owner. Now that he has his own studio named coquine! [design], he is free to let his imagination run rampant.
“I believe there are future owners who simply haven’t been shown anything that excites them,” he says. Magic occurs, however, when an invitation to participate in the creative journey is extended.
The magic of Steamer 888 will consist of an unfinished aluminium tender propelled by a repurposed aircraft engine.