Alex McDiarmid is proud to announce his latest project, the 100-metre mega yacht PENNA, inspired by feathers. Explorer yacht PENNA is another unusual concept from the British designer’s studio located in South of France, following his previous works such as Iwana, Conch or DNA. Their work “has ruffled a few feathers over the last year”, as stated by the designer himself.
McDiarmid Design 100m motor yacht PENNA
PENNA – the word pen is derived from the Latin penna for feather and in French, plume can mean either feather or pen.
Feathers are considered the most complex organ structures found in vertebrates. Feathers have been used in ceremonial head dress, fletching arrows, bedding, clothing and used as early writing instruments to make quill pens.
McDiarmid Design 100m PENNA yacht concept
Looking at both tail and flight feathers, the studio began to see that their overall design and profiles would lend themselves nicely to superyacht design and only in their inimitable style.
In particular the A-symetrical form of flight feathers producing a profile based on the layout of a classic Explorer/Expedition yacht.
McDiarmid Design PENNA 100m yacht concept
Design Thinking:
The design and styling of the superstructure silhouette of the motor yacht concept PENNA takes it inspiration from the beautiful, organic forms of feathers.
The hollow shaft, ‘calamus’ and ‘rachis’ of the feather provided the inspiration for the hull length window constructed in a series of glass panels with the ‘ruffled feather look’ providing the superstructures glass. This allows as much natural light into the superstructure as possible, the overall goal is obtaining a floating atrium effect.
Alex McDiarmid Design - PENNA motor yacht concept
Alex McDiarmid Design were adamant about keeping a classic bow for one of the attached concepts but wanted to really push some boundaries with the styling of others. The aft section of the hull, superstructure and ‘Day Light Opening’ / DLO window graphics are there to be explored in terms of style.
Penna is a yacht concept after all, which would require new ways in thinking for production but concept designs should offer an insight into what could be while at the same time entertaining the viewer.
Alex McDiarmid Design Project PENNA - a 100m super yacht
The communication towers are inspired by the phrase “a feather in your cap”.
While the aft deck houses a helicopter platform, ribs, tenders, toys and potential for a sailing yacht, laboratories could be integrated in case the the project should be used as a research vessel.
The term a feather in your cap is an English idiomatic phrase believed to have derived from the general custom in some cultures, of a warrior adding a new feather to their head-gear for every enemy slain, or in other cases from the custom of establishing the success of a hunter as being the first to bag a game bird by the plucking of the feathers of that prey and placing them in the hat band. The phrase today has altered to a more peaceful allusion, where it is used to refer to any laudable success or achievement by an individual that may help that person in the future.
McDiarmid Design superyacht PENNA 100m
Technical/Principal Characteristics of the 100m Alex McDiarmid Yacht Concept PENNA:
Length overall: 100m / 330′
Beam: 18m / 58′
Power and type of engines in hp and manufacturer: 4 x MTU 3600 kw or
A hybrid power Diesel Electric propulsion system with pod drives, electric Voith Inline Propulsors/thrusters, Volvo Penta D16 MG gensets, Valance batteries
Berth capacity for guests: 14
Berth capacity for crew: 24
The hull is made from steel while the superstructure is in aluminium. All aluminium construction further reducing weight and therefore power consumption is under consideration also.
