By
Alex Smith |
YSA Design has joined the Northern Xplorer project, a venture aiming to build the world’s first zero-emission cruise ship.
The Norwegian design firm accepted a formal invitation to join the consortium behind the venture, and will take oversight of important aspects of project development. Northern Xplorer has already signed a letter of intent with Portugal’s West Sea shipyard to build a 140-meter-long, 250-guest ship with 125 cabins for the 2026 cruise season, powered by hydrogen fuel cells and batteries. Interior concepts have been created by the project’s head of design Axel Brox, while the side view has been designed by consultancy Multi Maritime.
Among other responsibilities, YSA will provide a solution for the observation deck and lounge that will maximise panoramic views, even when the ship is close to steep mountains while sailing in fjords. Designers have been tasked with specifying reusable materials from Scandinavia where possible, which should also be recyclable. They will also prioritise life cycle planning for materials during the building process.
“The Northern Xplorer project is exciting on many levels,” said Trond Sigurdsen, senior architect at YSA Design. “As coordinating architect, YSA Design is developing the general arrangment, and offering layouts and renderings in close cooperation with designer Axel Brox. With his out- of-the-box thinking on designing for hospitality, he is a breath of fresh air. Drawing on nearly 40 years of cruise experience, we are also developing the quality assurance for future construction plans.”