Liaigre’s Award-Winning Superyacht Perfectly Blends French and Asian Influences

The interiors of the 144-foot Sanlorenzo vessel also feature artworks by Bosco Sodi, Jung Lee, Toshio Shibata, and Mao Lizi

August 16, 2022

Architectural details like rounded doors that narrow at the base nod to Asian style while various wood tones customary in French design created a stunning aesthetic fusion. Photo: Mark Seelen

Given the luxury of thousands of square feet, designers conjure majestic interior design plans with bold architectural choices and a wide array of furniture and art. But creating a compelling aesthetic within the confines of a boat is a next-level challenge that only a handful of creatives can complete. The yacht design team at Liaigre, headed by Guillaume Rolland, is clearly up for the task. Indeed, the 144-foot Sanlorenzo vessel they devised topped the category for semi-displacement or planing motor yachts 40-meters or above at the this year’s World Superyachts Awards.

Working in tandem with Italian studio Zuccon International Project, which crafted the exterior architecture, Rolland conjured a serene interior that combined the client’s request for “Asian style with a French touch.”

For the interior of his Sanlorenzo yacht, Liaigre's client requested “Asian style with a French touch.” Photo: Mark Seelen

In conceiving this owner’s first yacht, the Liaigre team mined the maison’s historical references, drilling down to the basic components of French interior concepts. “It’s a philosophy of shaping and sculpting the interior with strong symmetries, niches that speak to each other,” says Rolland. “It’s really part of the classical French decor.”

Drawing on both fractal and Piranesian principles, the designers pushed the boundaries of scale and perspective. “When you create a diagonal perspective instead of being locked to quadrilaterals, rectangle boxes with a window that goes in each one, if you manage to get some angles and to create some unexpected windows and perspective you create additional sights which really boost the space and create a kind of magic,” he says.

Spaces that cater to evening entertaining feature a more moody palette of jewel tones, including the bar that is crafted from green onyx. Photo: Mark Seelen

Throughout, the designers employed a neutral palette, punctuated by rich jewel colors and places of luminosity, including an ethereal circular stair that opens to a frame of reflective panels. “A reflection of the sea landscape to glossy dark is very interesting,” suggest Rolland. “You will see dark reflections because it helps to boost and to diffract and duplicate this shimmering drips of the water which is a big part of the landscape.”

Elm paneling indicative of classic French styles envelope the rooms, including the bar area where green onyx mixed with moody celadon hues nod to jade, a celebrated element in Asian culture. Other elements pay homage to Asian design including custom ovaloid doors that narrow at the base, reminiscent of decorative screens, while two terrariums housing bonsai create visual interest in the living area.

Custom Liaigre furnishings are installed throughout the SL44 which also hosts a selection of artworks by Bosco Sodi, Jung Lee, Toshio Shibata, and Mao Lizi. Photo: Mark Seelen

Liaigre furnishings are installed throughout, elevating the residential areas that also feature a respectable collection of artworks including pieces by Bosco Sodi, Jung Lee, Toshio Shibata, and Mao Lizi. “The choice of artwork is really key to boost and give this extra little twist to the interior,” says Rolland. “There was a kind of corner area, which was a result of some volumetric choices, and it was interesting when you go from forward to aft to also have another eye-catcher, so your eyes are always stimulated.”

Also evident in the final decoration is Liaigre’s dedication to meticulousness, with every element infinitely considered. “There is nothing done by random; there is nothing done that is not thought twice from every aspect,” explains Rolland. “It can be the swing of the door—is it better from the left or the right; which one gives the best perspective entering the room. Everything is analyzed.”

Take a closer look below.