Art & Design On the
Art & Design On the Waves Clockwise from above: Bernardo and Martina Zuccon in their Rome office; the Bluegame BGX70; Sanlorenzo Alloy; dining area onboard the Sanlorenzo SX76 – all created in partnership with Zuccon International Project Bernardo and Martina took over the mantle at Zuccon from their parents, Gianni and Paola, who started the Rome-based firm in 1972. Their roles mirror their predecessors with Martina, like her mother, taking on the pragmatic, administrative approach, and Bernardo taking on the creative reins from his father. In this respect, Bernardo has had to fight to establish his reputation. “I understood that the time had come to walk alone, without my parents. You have to do something by yourself, you have to understand that you can do something different,” he says. It’s a battle he has undoubtedly won, thanks in no small part to the patronage of Massimo Perotti, owner of Amegliabased shipyard Sanlorenzo. “Six years ago, Massimo Perotti decided to invest in me and my sister. He knew that our company was very strong with a great ‘know-how’. He decided to invest when nobody knew that we were able to design yachts without our parents. Since then, we have launched many yachts with Sanlorenzo; we have had great success – and I can say that even without my parents, I am able to do my job.” Bernardo is keen to emphasise that he is an architect not a designer, and he certainly brings a singular eye to his work. “In my approach, it is very important to take inspiration, first of all, from the history of architecture. I am in love with the history of the 20th century – Le Corbusier-style,Mies van der Rohe-style, Frank Lloyd Wright, Alvar Aalto or Philip Johnson-style. I think it is very important to take inspiration, because then you can understand that a yacht is not a sculpture. A yacht is a space to live.” He is also conscious about the relationship with the shipyard he is working with. “You have to understand that you have to take care of brand identity; you have to understand the history of the shipyard, the style of the brand. You are not creating your piece of art. You are creating a Sanlorenzo project.” It is certainly a combination that works and has led to groundbreaking results. “I thought Sanlorenzo was very focused on lifestyle and the concept of living onboard,” Bernardo says. This has allowed him to PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: G. MALGARINI, M. BALDI, © ZUCCON INTERNATIONAL PROJECT, F. CEDRONE 46 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
“I always try to create a link with the sea; even if I am restoring a flat in Rome, I try to bring the client a sort of sea experience” experiment with the norms of ship design, most notably with the symmetry whereby normally both port and starboard sides of the vessel are identical in terms of space and layout. “I always said that yachts are like churches. There is perfect symmetry. Now I can say that it is not true any more. Because we created asymmetric yachts – keeping the same comfort and even creating more opportunities onboard. With the asymmetric concept, we changed the balance onboard, creating new volumes, new square metres.” It’s a concept that has been well received. “We have four models in the fleet – the SL90, SL96, SL106 and SL120 – developed in the last four years, one new model a year,” Bernardo confirms, and it is also opening up new areas to explore, expanding from fibre-glass yachts to those built in steel and aluminium. “We are developing all of the Sanlorenzo fleet, from the 14m Bluegame up to 72m [yachts] in steel and aluminium: the range is huge, we are talking about 60 units from 24m to 73m every year.” You would think all of this would be time-consuming enough, yet Bernardo is happy to delve into areas away from yachting that sate his creative curiosity. This manifests itself in the Zuccon offices, replete with a pool and games facilities to complement the work spaces, and in his time off. “When I am on holiday, I like to spend my time at antiques markets. I like to buy all kinds of things from all over the world. I love sculpture, paintings; I am completely focused on arts in any form,” he says. A disciple of versatile Milanese designer Ernesto Rogers, who could design everything from a spoon to a city, Bernardo is keen to spread his wings. “We have designed a sofa for the iconic brand Poltrona Frau. It was an amazing experience, because I think that in this way we can really feel our love for art, for design.” Though at the heart of all this is his love for all things aquatic. “I always try to create a link with the sea; even if I am restoring a flat in Rome, I try to bring the client a sort of sea experience,” he says. Zuccon International Project may head in many directions, but the waves will always rule. zucconinternationalproject.com CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 47
