Outlier I concept yacht by Foster + Partners is unlike anything else at sea

Foster + Partners are no strangers to nautical design. At this year’s Monaco Yacht Week, the practice has once again delved into the realm of high-tech ocean-going architecture with the new Outlier I yacht concept. Norman Foster is a long-time aficionado of all things related to sailing. High Tech architecture also owes a great deal to technology transferred from the precisely machined and perfectly balanced components of naval engineering.

Ever since the earliest days of Foster + Partners there have been boats on the boards. From the faceted hull of the Izanami motor yacht (1995), to the elegant Dark Shadow (2002) and Panthalassa (2007) sailing yachts, to smaller scale projects like the Alen 68, Foster + Partners have always accommodated naval architecture into their portfolio.

The studio was also responsible for the impressive Yacht Club de Monaco structure, a nautical confection of decks, louvres, glass and teak that affords some of the best views of the marina. Monaco’s status as the place to celebrate the culture of outsized yachts is unrivalled, making it the perfect place to launch a megayacht concept.

Outlier I is an appropriate name for this gargantuan proposal. Working with Lateral Naval Architects, the design explores what the practice describes, perhaps a little archly, as a ‘sweet spot in the megayacht market.’ That is to say, it accommodates the features and space of a 100m+ gigayacht into a slightly more modest 88m hull.

According to Marilu Sicoli, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, ‘the Outlier I yacht … offers approximately 40 percent more deck space than standard yachts in its category, making it a standout in its class.’

Megayachts and gigayachts are all about the Superyacht Gross Tonnage (GT), a measurement of internal volume that shows how much space a boat actually takes up. Outlier 1 is around 2,000 GT. In layman’s terms that’s still pretty big, but for the more practically minded billionaire, it means you have a craft that’s not too big for certain key moorings yet also has space for what the architects call ‘key desirable components such as a swimming pool, helipad and a private top deck.’

The faceted, forward-looking hull architecture places the visual mass of the boat towards the bow. This is where Lateral have accommodated the engine room, a marked departure from tradition which frees up the internal volume, especially in the middle and aft sections.

Foster + Partners have seized on this spatial freedom to create a dramatic triple-height central volume, united by a helical stainless-steel staircase and featuring a cascade of glass that reaches right down to the water level. ‘We are pushing the boundaries of yacht design, reimagining guest spaces and adjacencies to offer a completely new way of living on the water,’ says Senior Partner Adam Newburn.

As can be seen from these renders, Outlier I is very much about the view – both internally between decks, and to the exterior. In addition to this radically reorganised circulation, the yacht incorporates a central service spine running the length of the vessel, as well as a large tender bay for. The two studios suggest the concept could prefigure a variety of use cases, from an explorer yacht to a luxury cruise vessel, as well as the ultimate in spacious private megayacht design.

FosterandPartners.com, @FosterandPartners, Lateral.Engineering