Concepts, whether for cars, aircraft, or watercraft, are either unbridled creativity finally finding a medium of expression, or vaporware. What many of them are not, however, is forgettable.
This is one such case. Phoenicia is an old concept by yacht design Igor Lobanov, of Russia-based Lobanov Design. It was unveiled to the media way back in 2011, which, given the developments of 2020, feels more removed than it actually is. Well, it still gets people talking today, whenever the renders pop up online.
It’s easy to see why: though done as a purely explorative study as a means to incorporate certain design elements (Lobanov’s more or less exact words at the time), Phoenicia immediately catches the eye and holds it there. It’s directly inspired by the Phoenicians, famous for their maritime prowess, to whom it also pays homage with its name. It also bears traces of other influences, mixed with modern touches.
Photo: Lobanov Design
Sadly, Lobanov never went into great detail with the project, so we mostly have the renders to fall back on for info. Phoenicia is a 100-meter (328-foot) sailing yacht decked throughout in the whitest of whites. With a sharp bow that’s unconventional by today’s standards, it bears a close resemblance to the Greek triremes of yore.
The similarity is further enforced by the nighttime renders, which show Phoenicia with what look like lighted oars. Triremes, as you probably know, were ancient oar-driven warships. They had three tiers of oars and one sail, and a bow that included a battering ram whose tip was clad in sharp bronze and was able to slice a wooden ship in half if it hit it sideways.
Some 170 oarsmen were necessary for the propulsion of these triremes, but the suggestion with Phoenicia is probably just that: a suggestion. Either that or a millionaire from an alternative future would be using slaves to cruise around the world.
Photo: Lobanov Design
That aside, there is undeniable beauty in Phoenicia, if only for its striking profile and unique color scheme. We’ve grown accustomed to white superyachts, but this sailing yacht is also completely white within. It packs plenty of vast interior spaces, with the highlight being a surrounding open deck arranged as a gallery with different design patterns inspired by various cultures.
Elsewhere, automated Venetian blinds could be closed at a gradient or opened irregularly, allowing guests to create numerous light displays or even near-complete darkness, if they so desired.
Phoenicia is the materialization, albeit on paper only, of the inevitable pull of the past, translated into luxury form. As such, it’s packed with modern amenities, too, including an expanding touch and go helipad at the aft, (at least) one pool, and a beach club. Since Lobanov never got around to detailing more of this make-believe yacht, we might as well imagine it packed with the creature comforts of modern (millionaire) life: a cinema, lounges and bars, spas and wellness centers, all finished in the same minimalist, all-white style.
Photo: Lobanov Design
To sum up, yacht concepts may be just vaporware, but they do serve a purpose. They show us what could be done, they challenge the status quo, and in the process, they set new trends and inspire other designs.
Phoenicia will most likely never be built such as it is in these renders, but wouldn’t it be amazing if at least some part of it made it into an actual build? Not the part about the slaves as oarsmen, though.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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