Zaha Hadid Architects designed a luxury yacht that can run on 100% solar power

Christened the Oneiric, this twin-hulled catamaran sports Zaha Hadid Architects’ signature fluid design and comes with a solar-paneled roof that lets the yacht run entirely on renewable energy.

The Oneiric isn’t your usual yacht. Developed in partnership with Italian shipyard Rossinavi, the yacht sports a uniquely organic form on the inside and the out. Inspired by the shape of waves, Zaha Hadid Architects hopes that its design will blur the boundaries between the yacht and its surroundings, sort of like luxurious camouflage, if you will. It is set to be presented next week during Milan design week.

Designers: Zaha Hadid Architects and Rossinavi

The Oneiric is a 42-meter-long yacht (or a catamaran to be precise) with a twin-hull design that gives it a broader footprint. Its organic, fluid design falls well within the identity of the design language Zaha Hadid Architects is known for. The main deck features a saloon containing a bar and integrated sofas that open onto a second deck with an inbuilt hot tub and two sets of steps that lead down into the sea.

The catamaran runs on a hybrid power system, relying on a combination of solar as well as fuel power with the ability to switch to 100% solar energy too. Described by Rossinavi as its “green-technology flagship”, the yacht would be covered in solar panels on three levels that would fully power it on day trips. “On a day trip, Oneiric can cruise up to 100% of the time in full-electric mode with zero emissions,” mentions Zaha Hadid Architects. “On transatlantic crossings, the yacht can cruise in full-electric mode up to 70% of the time, saving approximately 40 tonnes of CO2 compared to a conventional vessel.” The solar panels continually charge the yacht’s battery pack even when not in use, and can then in turn be used to provide power to a villa on land when the yacht’s moored.

The Oneiric’s multihulls are also more energy-efficient than a conventional monohull yacht, due to their weight distribution and the hulls’ length-to-width ratio which provides greater hydrodynamic efficiency.

The yacht’s interiors mirror the same design language as the exterior, with the liberal use of curved lines to balance out the rigidity of straight lines and flat surfaces, giving the overall yacht a soft appeal. “The sinuous lines and reflective surfaces of the yacht’s exterior are continued throughout the interior, blurring the boundaries between vessel and sea,” the architects said. The use of wood proves to be a rather clever choice on the architects’ part, as the wood grain further lends a ripple-like fluidity to the exterior deck as well as the interior.

“The serenity on board is visual as well as auditory,” said the team at Zaha Hadid Architects. “Oneiric’s full-electric mode is capable of silent operations. In addition, the yacht benefits from the effects of Rossinavi Zero Noise technology that isolates all noise on board from the original source.”

Oneiric can accommodate up to 8 guests at a time (with an additional 6 crew members), with 4 cabins for the guests, 3 for the crew, and one dedicated owner’s suite that comes wrapped in a curved glass window to give 180-degree views of the sea, and a skylight that allows light to filter from above. Multiple interior and outdoor lounging and dining areas, as well as media room with entertainment technologies, are integrated into the design together with a large owner’s suite and four guest cabins. The yacht’s interior spaces interconnect, a feature that makes the design unique. The owner’s suite provides access to the forward outdoor lounge area, which can be shaded by retractable structures.