Arman, a newly established Belgian marine design studio, presents its new 90 meter superyacht concept, also known under the codename “Dune 90”. Arman Fissette, a founder of the studio and a creator of the unique Arman 90m Explorer motor yacht concept ‘Dune 90’, describes the process that transform his extraordinary ideas into this visually stimulating design.

Arman 90m Explorer yacht concept

Obtaining the right balance between openness and privacy on a superyacht is often a delicate part of the design process and the outcome seems to be successful in relatively few cases. The outdoor areas are often too exposed to dockside onlookers or passing yachts while the interior is generally disconnected from the outside environment. Considering that owning a superyacht is as much about the onboard experience as the privilege of being surrounded by the most beautiful beachfronts in the world, one can understand that enhancing the outside views and light ingress should be one of the major focal points for a yacht designer.

The goal for Arman 90m Explorer yacht concept was to conceive an innovative and aesthetically pleasing verandah concept that would take into account the effects of radiant heating by the sun. The idea revolved around the application of a modular and multifunctional glass facade system, featuring both reduced weight and complexity as well as surprising aesthetics and light ingress. In terms of structure, inspiration was found in geodesic domes and airport terminals. However, for this rationale to be applicable on a superyacht ,to keep cost and build complexity in check the overall geometry would need to be simplified, ideally made up of large flat surfaces.

Arman Dune 90 superyacht concept

For this particular aspect of the design, the clean and taut surfaces of swerving dunes proved to be a promising reference, as they seemed the natural way of combining flat surfacing with a sense of dynamism and visual tension. The end result is a design style fittingly called “duning”, a combination of “faceting” (that places the emphasis on the surface) and “edging” (where the attention is drawn on the edges resulting from surface intersections). The edges draw the viewer’s eye and lead it across the design, while the flat surfaces between those edges are simple and clean enough to remain in the background and give center stage to the edges. Where they change direction though, the curvature becomes a hotspot for light reflection. This emphasizes certain areas of the design and gives it a certain softness that contrasts beautifully with the predominant starkness of the design.

Also the overall composition of the Arman “Dune 90” superyacht was challenged, and the decision was made to visually make a distinct break-up between hull and superstructure, while at the same time these two parts as a whole seem to have been cut out of a single volume. For the imaginative, the idea of a mollusk shell might come to  mind, being carried by its possessor.

Arman 90m superyacht´s interior design

With this as a building ground, the next part of the design – the glass facade – could be started. Inspiration here was found in the intricately designed patterns present in Arabesque mosaics and window screens, which successfully combine light ingress with privacy and a high level of visual detailing.

The facade is made up of an array of triangular glass panels that fit on top of a triangular structure. The latter is aligned with the yacht’s structural frames and bulkheads to safeguard an optimal distribution of forces. This keeps the design and building process simple and out of the realm of the experimental.

90m Explorer yacht concept by marine design studio Arman

The tinted glass panel is a three panel composite, coated on both sides with an opaque titanium graphic and supported by a structural panel that holds a third graphic. The superposition of these three graphics leads to a moiré-effect that produces different effects depending on the distance, viewing angle and whether the surface is front- or backlit. The combination of both layered glass and the titanium coatings on the other hand, is an effective means of keeping the heat out while precious light is allowed in.

The end result is a distinctively new Arman 90m yacht design that combines privacy  with openness, European post-modernity with North African craftsmanship and true-tested engineering orthodoxy with design prowess.

While the average size of superyachts leaving the yards these days was something unseen only a few years ago, the typical “wedding cake” stacking style of these floating palaces is something we’ve unfortunately been seeing for many decades now. Only a handful of designs really have been able to break out of that straightjacket.

Over the years, the market seems to have been conditioned by some sort of “same but bigger” mantra, as this seemed to warrant the most conspicuous yacht in the bay. However, with a new generation of yacht designers entering the scene, this reality is changing. Sheer size isn’t a guarantee for attention anymore, design is. And that’s what a one-of project like a superyacht deserves: a one-of-a-kind and appropriated design.

To celebrate the creation of his own design studio “ARMAN”, former BMW designer and marine envisioneer Arman Fissette created an innovative and visionary design style with a more monolithic approach to superyacht design. The result is a truly charismatic yacht, Arman 90m Explorer yacht taking inspiration from stealth frigates and swerving dunes, boasting a crispness and leanness that is rare for a yacht of this size.

With 90 meter bow to stern, The DUNE 90 superyacht is a true explorer yacht, equipped for any type of trip, be it on water, land or in the air, in both high-latitude or low-latitude cruising grounds. There’s a helicopter hangar aboard, together with berths for a submarine, an amphibious aircraft, three large tenders, six waverunners and a garage containing four off-road vehicles. While 10 Guest cabins and an owner’s cabin provide enough space to sleep 22, there’s an additional 28 crew aboard to run the yacht and cater to the needs of those aboard.

The upper decks are covered by a large glass atrium with arabesque-type light filters to retain a sense of privacy while natural light is allowed in and heat is kept out.

The swimming pool on the foredeck is partially overhung by the owner’s salon which features a large glass facade, called the” visor”. This feature clearly marks the “Dune 90” superyacht’s inclination towards exploration, as if it were looking out for new things on the horizon.

The team behind this yacht is currently designing a 75 meter yacht concept and going through a yard selection process for both projects.

Arman “Dune 90” explorer yacht concept´s specification sheet

Concept and Design: Arman Fissette

Length overall (LOA): 90.00 m

Length water line (LWL): 85.00 m

Molded Beam: 15.00 m

Design Draft: 4.20 m

Displacement @ half load  2919 tons

Displacement @ full load  3180 tons

Gross Tonnage: 3182 GT

Max Speed: 17.00 knots

Cruise Speed: 14.00 knots

Range at Cruise Speed: 11000 n.miles

Main Generators :  2x CATERPILLAR 3516B @ 1800rpm, 1825 ekW
1x CATERPILLAR 3512B @ 1800rpm, 1360 ekW

Aux. Generators:  2x CATERPILLAR 3408C, 370 ekW three phase, 1x CATERPILLAR 3306B 145 ekW