Sweden’s Tillberg Design creates yacht liner for Four Seasons

Set to join the ranks of hotel-branded yachts and cruise ships plying the seven seas, the luxurious Four Seasons Yacht will feature 95 suites across 14 decks, including a four-level 892-square-metre penthouse. 

Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS), part of The Viken Group, has been tasked with designing and master planning of the yacht liner, as well as the complete exterior styling of the 207-metre vessel, which is scheduled to be launched in 2025. The design firm has also envisioned all guest suite accommodations, including an inspired Funnel Suite, and a few of the most eye-catching guest-shared areas onboard. The yacht is being engineered and constructed by Fincantieri.

“This project confirms a new and strong trend in modern yachting – luxury yacht liners,” says TDoS Partner and Executive Director Fredrik Johansson. “They are a new breed of very exclusive vessels that combine the scale of small and intimate cruise ships with superyachts’ amenities, splendour and level of sophistication. Our new project started with a very clear and unique vision from our client. The brief was condensed into a single line: imagine that Christina O meets James Bond. It would be hard to go wrong there, you may think – but it is also a huge challenge. You must not go wrong – failure is simply not an option. Every part and every detail of the yacht has to be perfect.”

For the Four Seasons Yacht the TDoS team has created a truly timeless elegance, with a curvaceous and elegant architecture. The harmonious lines and proportions of Christina O, a private motor yacht that once belonged to billionaire Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis that also featured a very generous and beautifully furnished aft pool deck, inspired the designers to add a 20-metre long pool with a surrounding deck at the very aft of the yacht, and its layout caters perfectly for both privacy and socialising. The pool bottom will double up as a stage for catwalks, live music, and events.

The silhouette of Christina O, which started life as a Canadian mine-sweeper, is largely shaped by its large and iconic funnel. The Four Seasons Yacht however, will be designed and equipped to minimise emissions. The TDoS team therefore thought long and hard of a way to give the funnel of the Four Seasons Yacht a completely new and innovative context – and the concept of the sublime ‘Funnel Suite’ was born. Here, guests will have a total of 892 square metres of combined indoor and outdoor space, distributed over four levels, meaning that they really are on top of the world within the exclusive space. It’s also accessible, directly and privately, from a tender platform at water level, allowing guests to invite friends onboard at complete discretion. The feature promises to offer guests as close as one might come to a true James Bond moment on any hotel-branded yacht.

Another spectacular design feature onboard is the port-to-starboard transversal marina. Not only is this dual marina an innovative engineering addition, but its terraced design also allows guests to enjoy the sea first hand, with immediate access to water activities, and to “sea limousine” transfers to shore. It can also be transformed into an exclusive dining experience.

As for the interior, the TDoS’ design team will create suites and social spaces that promise a truly effortless Dolce Vita and worldly sophistication, offering everything that is essential for a truly epic yachting experience.

The vessel’s 95 spacious accommodations will feature an extensive network of joining suite combinations creating adaptable, villa-like residences. Each suite will offer floor-to-ceiling windows providing unobstructed natural light and access to expansive terrace decks. The combination of generous indoor and outdoor private guest space and ceiling heights of more than 2.4 metres will achieve a new level of guest comfort. The Four Seasons Yacht will also feature a number of high-class restaurants, lounges, bars, spas and other high-class amenities.

“Much inspiration was taken from the private and sophisticated atmosphere of Surf Club, Miami Beach, and of course from the golden era of classic yachting,” continues Johansson. “Already at the outset, we concluded that the master planning must be made to welcome every single guest as if it was to the yacht of a close friend, instilling an instant sense of relaxation and belonging.”

Tillberg Design of Sweden has experience in the relatively new yacht liner field. The studio is the lead architect for master planning and interior concepts for 222-metre Somnio dubbed the world’s largest private residence superyacht, and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

Established in 2022, The Viken Group includes Tillberg Design of Sweden, Milan’s Hot Lab, which specialises in ‘architecture for voyagers’, and Thalia Marine. It provides a full range of design, naval architecture and project management services in the yachting industry. All these proficiencies are available to both cruise line and yacht clients, as well as to customers within hotel, resorts and private island developments. 

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