Boat International – September 2019

PHOTOGRAPHY:

PLEYEL

INTERNATIONAL

[commerciallysensitive]phonecalls,”hesays.
“Sometimestherecanbealackofcosyspaces.”
Unexpectedlyforsuchalargeyacht,cosy
spacesarenotinshortsupply.Eventhemain
decksaloon–whichhasclearlybeenbuiltto
impresswithitsdouble-heightatrium,hand-
paintedPleyelgrandpiano,leather-book-clad
wallsandfull-beamdiningtable–offerswarmth.
MuchisdowntointeriordesignerFrançois
Zuretti’svision,whichpairsthegrandwiththe
intimate:hand-paintedMichelangelocloudson
theceilingabovethediningtable;orthedozens
ofwarmorganictonesdeliveredviathebacklit
whiskies,brandiesandrumsinclearbottles
behindthebars.“The[owner]askedforan
authentic classic representation withthe
integrationofclassicfurniturefromthe18th
century,”Zurettitellsme.“Alcohol,booksand
accessoriesarepartofthedesign.”
ButØinohasalsobeencleverwiththelayout,
whichofferslotsofrecessesforseatingand
magnificent seaviewsthroughdrop-down
bulwarks.“Detailingsuchasthestainlesssteel,
onyxpanels,deckmotifs–alotofworkwentinto
ittogetherwiththeowner,”saysØino.“Normally,
thegoodboatscomeoutofclientsthatarereally
engagedwiththeproject.”
TheownerofAmadeahastakengreatcareto
stayoutofthelimelight,andyethisinfluenceis
everywhereonthisyacht.Justlookatthevastart
deco-stylealbatrossthatsoarsoffthebow.“We
workedwithWillemLenssinck,anartistfromthe
Netherlands,whobuiltitfromstainlesssteel.It
wasthenweldedontothehull,”saysØino.It
weighsastaggeringfivetonnes.
Ortakethegalleyonthetopdeck.Itgleams
withcopperpotsandpans,offersahugegrillarea
andevenalivetankforlobsters.“It’saguestarea
really,”saysthecaptain.Theideaisthatthoseon
boardcangetinvolvedwiththeirfoodifthey
wantto.Itservestheso-calledwinterpatio–a
diningareathatwillseatupto 24 inaspace
deckedwithfernsandpaintedwithlianas.
Watertinklessoftlydowntheslatewall,and
indirectlightfallingthroughopaqueceiling
panelslookslikedaylight.Itfeelslikeasecret
Parisianeatery,notthetopdeckofanultra-
modernyacht.Andyetjustafewcentimetres
behindthegreenery,themainexhaustruns
uptotheventsabove.Suchisthebuildquality
thatnotadecibelescapesthroughthemultiple
layersofinsulation.
Thedeckoutside,however,isbuilttobe
anythingbutquiet.Here,20,000Wattsofbuilt-
inspeakers,pluslightsandevenlasers,arevery
muchdesignedtobeheard.Forthisistheparty

deck,whereagood-sizedspapoolflankedby

sunbedscanbeconvertedintoastagewhere

bandsandDJsplugstraightintotheship’saudio

system.“We’veonlyeverhadituptohalfvolume,”

saysthecaptainwithamockgrimace,“butyou

couldfeelyourchestpounding.”

“It’s apartyarea,”saysØino. “Thedeck

terminationsareinvertedonthisdeckandthe

onebelow,sothestructurelendsitselfverywell

toanchoringlightsandspeakers.Thegeometry

wasn’taccidental.”Astorageareatooneside

revealsequipmentincludingateppanyakigrill,a

rotisserieandahog-roaster.There’sevenacrane

availabletoloweritoverthesidesoitcanbe

takenashoreforabeachparty.“Thisissomething

completelyunique,”saysthecaptain.

Equallyunique,tomymind,isthecinemaon

thebridgedeckbelow.Theprojectorandbig

screenfullyretractwhennotinuse,butthereis

somethingspecialaboutthetwomainsofas.The

Rockme,Amadea

AmongthemanyelementsofAmadea’s

immaculateinterior,thehand-paintedPleyel

pianostandsout.ThisParispianobuilder

hasbeeninbusinesssince1807,foundedby

atalentedAustrianmusicianwhoadopted

Frenchnationality.Overtwocenturies,the

brandhasbeenembracedbyartistsfrom

ChopinandRaveltoDaniilTrifonovandVanessa

Moselltoday.Pleyelnolongermanufactures

pianos,butitstillacceptsoccasionalcustom

orders,suchasthisDirectoirebabygrand.

Measuring1.9mx1.5m,thepiano’ssoundboard

andribsarebuiltofsolidsprucefromItaly’s

FiemmeValley.Pleyel’sfamousmetalframe

revolutionisedsoundqualityinthe19th

century,anditisstillinusetoday,albeit

computer-optimisednow.ItfeaturesaRenner

actionandaLaukhuffkeyboardinspruce.

Allthehardware,frompedalstohinges,is

in24ktgold.Thevinesandflowershand-

paintedontothebodyoftheinstrumentwere

completedbymasterpainterPierre-François

Battisti.Alltold,thepianotook 18 months

andthousandsofhourstobuild.

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09 2019 boatinternational.com