Luxury and research combine in the vision of Curiosity

In recent years the explorer yacht has become increasingly popular. The quest to explore new places is part of the ownership experience of any luxury yacht, but explorers go even further, beyond the coastlines of the Caribbean and Mediterranean, to places that aren’t on traditional routes.

Explorer yachts can also have a purpose, combining luxury with research. That is certainly the case with Curiosity, a new concept from yacht designer Fabio Peduzzi. It has all the luxury of a superyacht, but the vision is that it should be a scientific research vessel too.

“The starting point for me is always to look for an idea, one that is free from the constraints of feasibility,” says Peduzzi. “To do this, I thought that explorers, although becoming more popular, are still seen as a robust platform that is closely linked to their function, often more like work boats than luxury yachts.”

In Curiosity, the work aspect is definitely catered for, with 80m2 of laboratory space, a 36m2 diving platform, and the ability to stow two submersibles. There’s a dedicated exploration vehicle and a 16m exploration tender that is stored and launched from the stern and that can remain autonomous from the mothership for up to two days. The yacht also has space for additional tenders and a retractable hangar for storing a helicopter.

“The boat will be the mirror of the owner’s curiosity. How do you feel when you are curious? You enter into a flow of research and focus,” says Peduzzi. “The yacht must reflect all this, which is why I call the boat a floating box. It must be able to open and close, to exploit opposite zones with completely opposite functions, depending on the interests and curiosities of the owner and their guests.”

The inverse of all the functionality can be found in the opulent luxury. Curiosity has a large owner’s suite with a bedroom, lounge, sauna, bathroom, and study. There are three double guest cabins and a further three cabins for personal staff or helicopter crew. Additional amenities include a gym, wellness area, cinema, observation deck, and multiple lounges and entertaining areas. Then there is crew accommodation for the up to 25 people needed to run the yacht.

It’s all about bringing luxury and research together to fulfil the human characteristic of curiosity and to create a perfectly functioning layout — one that provides luxury not just in what you can see but also in the details that you cannot.

“My main inspiration was trying to keep a classic, timeless line,” says Peduzzi. “The crucial point was to create an exterior line that would still arouse a bit of mystery, so that, until the boat was in action, it would be difficult to tell that it was a pure explorer. In addition, I firmly believe that boats should be in complete harmony with their environment, whether they are in the middle of the ice or in some Mediterranean paradise. In fact, it is quite intuitive that the sharp profile of the yacht refers to the cracks in the icebergs themselves.”

It might only be a design study for now, but this is one superyacht that is sure to pique someone’s curiosity.