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When it comes to interior design each client is different, so it is important to be passionate about each one – it’s all about listening and understanding their needs and product, says Andy Yuill, co-founder and joint managing director of London’s SMC Design.
“The cruise vessel is a large product, so it’s about understanding the many aspects which, when brought together, will create the whole, especially when you’re involved in designing the restaurants, casinos and bar areas. There is a whole multitude of elements that go into making up these fantastic leisure products,” he says. “You’ve also got to bring something to the table for the clients. The cruise ships coming out now have got far more in common with land-based design than they would have had 10 to 15 years ago. Passengers are used to certain things on land which they’re getting more of on ships now and that makes it more appealing to them.”
Whether a project is at sea or on land, Yuill believes it’s all about bringing good design to the client. “It’s got to be about improving their brand, their identity and their overall visual appearance within the market. They have to be continually expanding and developing, so you never sit still as a designer.”
With more than 20 years’ cruise design expertise, including projects for Norwegian Cruise Line, Cunard Line, Star Cruises and P&O Cruises, SMC Design is adept at delivering onboard innovation. Norwegian’s 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway, which was launched in May 2013, is no exception. “The big difference with Breakaway is The Waterfront on the starboard side. It is one long area divided into eight different outside public spaces, each with their own character, and is a place for passengers to dine, drink and relax. The promenade that runs around the outside gives it atmosphere. It is very visual, as you’re able to look into the public spaces as well, so it goes back to this connection from the inside to the outside and the outside to the inside. You can see from one side of the vessel to the other, through whiskey bars, looking past Italian restaurants and then to The Waterfront on the other side. But it’s all about guests and you are giving them other seating options, while at the same time taking pressure off both the top and pool decks.”
Continuing the original concept from their work on Norwegian Epic, the team also furnished Breakaway with the Ice Bar, as Yuill explains: “We have ice everywhere – ice halls, ice bar, ice art – and this is a true ice bar, a unique piece. The guests enjoy it because it’s a fun place to visit and a revenue source for Norwegian that we have also made it different to Epic.
“On Breakaway it’s even more interesting because of the combination of light and ice. It’s all about the ‘wow’ factor of stepping into the ice bar and the passenger feeling that this is as beautiful as the one on Epic, if not better. The effect of light on the ice creates something which is different, something that the passengers aren’t used to seeing every day.”
Meandering to Deck 15, SMC has created another ‘first’ at sea with the spa’s Salt Room, which is based around the natural salt caves found in Eastern Europe.
“We researched to see what we should have in a good quality spa,” says Yuill. “Besides saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis and hydrotherapy pools, the more modern spas now include salt rooms in their offer. It’s a form of treatment that is reputed to be good for people who have breathing problems or asthma. We still have all the favourites, but from the owner’s perspective it’s good to keep adding something to the product. It’s not just another spa, it’s a fantastic spa and it’s got a salt room.”
Naturally the central atrium is not left out of the design mix, where lighting plays an important part. Yuill says: “We concentrated on the ‘wow’ factors for the huge atrium. From the large, LED-illuminated chandelier to the glass stairs to light that washes down the columns, the lighting is all synched together. Although strong on its own, it’s not just about the chandelier, but all elements of the atrium.”
The use of light in all areas is very important on Breakaway, Yuill says. “We have many dining counters, each having its own concealed light with its own colour and hue, which is a more subtle aspect to the design and gives character to these spaces.
“Overall, there’s a great variety of design within the ship. You go from Italian restaurants, to the spas, to the casinos, to the various bars that we have, but it all sits well together. Breakaway has continuity so you feel there’s a balance of design on the vessel. I would say it has a luxurious, comfortable feel to it. There are individual areas that are more conceptually themed, which are popular with guests, but the design fits far more comfortably as an overall product.”
When asked which design elements make him most proud, Yuill is reticent: “Design artists are always so very humble when they complete a project and something that started off as a drawing on a piece of paper actually ends up being one of these wonderful pieces of engineering that’s been built. I always feel so very honoured to be part of the cruise industry because you start off with nothing and then two years later there’s a product and the whole thing goes off into business for many to enjoy.
“It is the complexity of the building process and being involved in so many aspects of design – we don’t just design bathroom or bars. We’re involved in everything – casinos, restaurants, theatres – and anything. It’s the same as a land-based product. But when I refer to the vessels, I don’t talk of vessels – it’s just design that happens to be on a ship. It is good design and good design can be anywhere.”
This article appeared in the Autumn/Winter 2013 edition of International Cruise & Ferry Review. To read other articles, you can subscribe to the magazine in printed or digital formats.