The Fincantieri Mirage concept yacht has been carefully penned to blend naturally into its surroundings – not easy for a 350-foot (106-m) superyacht carrying a series of six stacked decks, a helipad, an outdoor cinema, a full spa and room for 14 guests. This bold yet subtle vessel relies on reflective surfaces and distinctive styling to melt away between sea and sky, providing an ocean-bound escape that strips away the divide between man and nature while still coddling guests with the most modern of amenities.
The fruits of a collaboration between Italian shipyard Fincantieri Yachts and Dutch firm Van Geest Design, the Mirage finds inspiration in the duality of skyscrapers that pierce into the landscape, reshaping it in their image, while also mirroring the natural beauty of sky and sun with reflective cladding. It seems a natural strategy for creating a superyacht, a hulking, human-wrought structure that lives out life atop Earth's vastest natural environment.
The Mirage's stretched hull, sharp, straight lines and stacked decks give it a powerful, almost intimidating presence atop the shimmering water. Large as it is, though, it's really but a tiny speck within a much larger environment. Copious amounts of reflective glass and surfaces help fit it to that environment, softening the edges enough so that the Mirage blends more naturally with its backdrop. The effect is particularly dramatic when viewing the entire Mirage profile on a clear, blue-sky day – or so the conceptual rendering above leads us to believe.
The Mirage stands as a larger-than-life staircase, its six decks dedicated to giving up to 14 guests everything they expect from such a regal yacht, and perhaps a bit more. The sundeck that tops the stack is a particular highlight, focusing on airy fun and relaxation with a reversed theater with foldaway cinema, tub with glass-wall views out to sea, series of oversized beanbag chairs, and aft helicopter platform.
Guests may head up to the sundeck for a nightly movie screening or to watch the sunset from the comfort of a cushy beanbag, but we reckon they'll spend more time below. The main deck treats them to a pool, spacious lounge and dining areas, and other entertainment options set aft of the guest cabins at the fore. Here, the generous amount of glass mirroring sun, sky and sea into the gazes of those looking at the Mirage from afar provides equally compelling views for those on board.
Other Mirage concept highlights include an owner's deck with full-beam stateroom, a full-beam spa encased with graduated electric privacy glass, a tender garage for vessels up to 34 feet (10.5 m), and, of course, plenty of glass walls and balustrades throughout delivering views as far as the eye can see. The Mirage accommodates 14 owners and guests in seven separate cabins and up to 29 crew and staff members in 17 cabins.
The Mirage is still but a concept, but listed specifications include two 4,600-hp diesel engines with fixed pitch propellers muscling the 4,500-gross register tonnage (GRT) vessel to speeds up to 19 knots (35 km/h). A 400-hp bow thruster and 268-hp stern thruster help maneuver all that volume around.
Fincantieri and Van Geest presented the Mirage concept at the Monaco Yacht Show last month. See more in the video clip below.
Source: Fincantieri