Hot Lab unveils stunning design of the Kaşif yacht

When the award-winning Italian design studio Hot Lab was tasked with developing the interior for a new 41.9m explorer yacht, they knew it would be no ordinary task. Unveiled at the 2023 Monaco Yacht show, the model, named Kaşif — Turkish for explorer — was built by the famous Turkish luxury superyacht builders, Bilgin.

Its highly experienced owners — a captain and an architect between them — were involved in every aspect of the process from the design and engineering to the shipbuilding prowess. The Kasif boasts agile yet purposeful styling and excellent hull efficiency, offering an 8,000-plus kilometre range at its economical cruising speed.

Partner and head of design at Hot Lab, Enrico Lumini said, “The entire family is strictly related to the sea and the maritime world, and while the husband oversaw most of the technical matters, his wife collaborated closely with us in creating such a beautiful vessel. Of course, both have influenced us in the design in different ways, but their ideas and support have been crucial for the end result.”

The yacht’s layout, developed by Unique Yacht Design, has an explorer-style profile with the interior volumes pushed further forward in the yacht, dividing the interior guest areas into three main areas, rising across three main decks. The lower deck has guest accommodations with a large VIP cabin, two further VIP cabins and two twin cabins. One deck up is the main saloon and dining area, and then the upper deck offers a second saloon area combined with the owners’ office.

“We started from the use of pastel colours for the cabins on the lower deck, obtained through the use of dyed wood,” Lumini said. “We then used a burgundy colour for the main saloon, both for the entrance arch and as the main colour of the lacquered surfaces of the furniture, and finally for the upper deck saloon and owners’ office we slide into a more masculine shade.”

Hot Lab’s bespoke furniture and signature features complement the interior style and highlight elements of the owners’ love of, and connection to, all things marine.

“The idea behind the entire vessel,” Lumini said, “was to be strictly connected to the water and the sea. The owners wanted to have a strong recall of the surrounding water and we tried to replicate that feeling on the beach club walls, almost like if the water and the teak were somehow merging with each other in a single surface.”

The holistic approach and constant interaction between Hot Lab, the owners and the exterior designers created a design and build of Kaşif as “its own specific beauty”.