In recent years we have seen some yacht designers become more adventurous.
Admittedly, the more outlandish designs have been confined to the realms of concept renderings, but the emergence of the Explorer yacht has produced some interesting vessels.
Last year was the 150th anniversary of the superyacht builder Lürssen and what better way to celebrate than by collaborating with an owner to create something special.
Cosmos was one of the largest superyachts to be launched last year, measuring 114.2m, but it is the design that immediately grabs the attention.
The owner has a vision to travel the world, going beyond the beautiful lagoons and islands, to make every journey a voyage of discovery. To achieve this, Marc Newson has designed a unique Explorer yacht, one that looks unlike anything else in its class.
The hull is reinforced to Class 1D, meaning it can cut its way through moderate ice. The hull is also the only element that has any kind of traditional look about it, because above the lower decks line, Cosmos conveys what could easily be described as a starship appearance that truly reflects its name.
“This is a rather special project to coincide with our 150th anniversary,” says Peter Lürssen. “While it is true that as a custom shipyard no two yachts that leave our halls are ever the same, there are some that leave an indelible mark on our history — Cosmos is undoubtedly one of those yachts.”
The sculptural design includes an impressive band of glass that surrounds the bow before spanning most of the length of the vessel.
In the bow, below the helipad, the glass provides a vast observation lounge where guests can take in the landscape around them. That’s not the only glass element that stands out though, because above the owner’s study on the top of the yacht is a large glass dome that provides 360-degree panoramic views. It also extends into a private owner’s terrace.
Then there’s no missing the vast aft deck, which features a swimming pool, jacuzzi and plenty of space for seating and entertaining. It also includes a landing sledge for retrieving the yacht’s supporting tender, which can also be stored in an on-board dry dock.
In total there are six decks, all expected to feature contemporary luxury throughout, with the interior design also by Newson. Cosmos might have been launched into the water around Lürssen’s shipyard in Germany, but the interior has yet to be installed and so for now, we have to wait to see what exciting designs he and his team have come up with. We do know there will be nine staterooms to accommodate up to 18 guests and the vessel can have as many as 36 crew members.
“Working with an immensely creative client has enabled rare opportunities to push the boundaries,” Newson says. “Everything from the smallest detail to the silhouette — outside, inside and everything in-between, is our design.
“We have, therefore, been able to exploit and explore every creative possibility uninhibited. This liberating free rein afforded the project a joyful, organic evolution, one which resulted in a satisfying novelty and coherence, the aesthetic of which remains very much within our lexicon.”
Cosmos does have another very cool feature and it’s one Lürssen has been working on for some time, hydrogen. The owner is committed to innovation and has agreed to have a research installation of a brand new methanol fuel cell system.
This uses two 500kW methanol fuel cells to produce hydrogen which is then converted into electricity, enabling Cosmos to cruise up to 1,000 nautical miles at seven knots on electric power alone.
The system also provides the on-board power and while it is supported by diesel generators for traditional propulsion when needed, the fuel cell technology is an impressive step forward for the yachting industry.
Cosmos will now return to the dock for its interior fitment, with this impressive Explorer yacht due to be delivered to its new owner in this year.
