In this instalment of our designer Q&A series, we profile superyacht designer Bernardo Zuccon, of Zuccon International Project, on joining the family firm and his most admired yacht designer.
Your big break?
Zuccon International Project was founded before I was born by my parents at the end of the 1970s. I started to work in the family firm after finishing my degree at the Architecture Faculty in Rome.
Source of inspiration?
The relationship between people and places, between their movements and the architectural space – these are essential keys to interpret any new project, on land or sea.
First boat you designed?
My degree thesis – a 40 metre steel and aluminium boat designed for a firm of architects moving from port to port.
Favourite yacht design? (Not yours)
The “Art of Life” concept by Sinot Yacht Design – an elegant and well-designed yacht where outdoor spaces drive life on board.
Most admired yacht designer?
Jon Bannenberg. He’s always designed yachts that have pushed the architectural, typological and stylistic envelope.
Toughest project?
There are no easy projects. One of our more complicated projects was the Sanlorenzo 102 Asymmetric, a bold project trying to change traditional approaches to yacht building.
Favourite non-yacht design?
The Taccia lamp designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962 remains a true icon that is still up to date after more than half a century.
Ultimate design fantasy?
An architectural system that allows humans to live in an undersea world.
If you weren’t a yacht designer?
There’s no doubt I’d have chosen to travel, explore and dedicate my time to studying nature.