On the lookout

The designers of this 328-foot explorer concept are seeking yacht owners who want to see the world in a whole new way.

This wild-looking 328-foot (100-meter) hybrid explorer concept—with distinctive glass pods perched above a superstructure to provide 360-degree views—is the brainchild of Impossible Productions Ink in New York City and Tim Dempers Studio in Cape Town, South Africa. Conceived as a global explorer, it would combine the luxury of a superyacht with the practicalities of a commercial support vessel.

The forward glass pod is the navigation station and ship’s office, while the aft pod is the owners’ accommodations. The cargo deck between the two glass structures is tantamount to a closed-in courtyard. It can hold a seaplane, automobiles, motorcycles, a sailing yacht, snowmobiles, hot air balloons and anything else an owner might require or desire.

Other fun features include an outdoor cinema and a car/art/food space. An internal “marina” allows for tender embarkation and disembarkation in a controlled environment.

One might imagine that the designers of this craft are skyscraper designers who never set foot on the water, but the principals of Impossible Productions Ink—architects and professors Alistair Gill and Veronika Schmid—worked for 15 years with leading naval architects including Martin Francis at Francis Design before setting up their own shop. Their recent work includes a 394-foot (120-meter) concept project for Icon Yachts and a new concept design for Nobiskrug based on that builder’s 295-foot (90-meter) platform. They are reportedly involved with several other yacht projects at the moment.