That Philippe Starck is a genius is no secret; it is a well-celebrated fact. So much so that in 2004, all anyone could talk about was how the talented, then 55-year-old Paris-born designer had conceived a luxury vessel for Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko. It wouldn’t be entirely wrong to say that this free-spirited designer, with a repertoire spanning five decades, from sculptural faucets and thermoses to the plastic Louis Ghost chair and the lobby of Times Square’s Paramount Hotel, created a 394-foot vessel that mirrored his own unconventional brilliance. Motor Yacht A, one of the world’s most talked-about superyachts, took shape at his home in Burano, Venice, in 2004 and was delivered in 2008 amid much fanfare.
There was no brief beyond an approximate length and a request for six cabins. “That was the beauty of the project and the beauty and intelligence of the owner,” Starck recalled. “He just left me completely free.” A yacht enthusiast himself, though he rarely goes for boats longer than 15 meters, Starck designed the maritime masterpiece as a free-flowing space, devoid of unnecessary restrictions like corridors and corners.
“I designed Motor Yacht A to be as invisible as possible,” he explained. “I took inspiration from the movement of waves and reflections of whales in the water.” This vision came to life in the Blohm + Voss-built ship’s main salon, an uninterrupted, one-deck expanse stretching from the foredeck to the aft.
Starck’s unconventional design philosophy also extended to the yacht’s reverse bow, which slices through waves rather than riding over them, reducing resistance and increasing fuel efficiency.
But Motor Yacht A isn’t just about performance; it is a floating palace of extravagance. Its seven stately cabins feature stainless-steel whirlpool baths at their center, $40,000 bath knobs, Baccarat-crystal tables, polished white finishes, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and walls lined with white stingray hides and calf leather. And of course, a Starck creation wouldn’t be complete without standout chairs.
Not his usual plastic designs, but two Michel Haillard chairs crafted from alligator hides and kudu horns, perfectly befitting Motor Yacht A, where the ‘A’ might as well stand for affluence.
With a $300 million price tag and space for just 14 guests, this ultra-luxury yacht commands a staggering $21.43 million per person. A mere drop in the ocean for the Russian billionaire, whose $17 billion fortune easily covers the yacht’s extravagant $30 million annual upkeep.
The Myth of Motor Yacht A-
A widely circulated myth claims that Philippe Starck designed Motor Yacht A in less than two hours. However, the designer himself has debunked this notion. In an interview, he explained, “Sometimes it only takes 30 seconds to make a design. I think to myself, ‘It’s too easy, it cannot be possible.’ But 90 percent of my work is like this. I am a little ashamed. It’s not normal.”
He also clarified the origins of the so-called “two-hour legend.” The actual design process was swift, but what took longer was the technical execution, printing the design, having his team transfer his A4 sketches into digital formats, and refining the details.
Starck, who refuses to use design software, prefers the traditional approach, working exclusively by hand. “People are always surprised when I say I can design something in five minutes, but it’s true, and it’s not a sketch, a sketch is ridiculous,” said the designer.
As expected, the Russian tycoon was captivated by the vessel that was practically an extension of the designer. “It was very simple. We were just three people in the room. I think he said ‘perfect’… or no, perhaps he said nothing. He just took the model, and we just did it, without changing a thing.”
Eventually, Melnichenko, the founder of fertilizer giant EuroChem and coal energy company SUEK, went on to commission an even grander creation, the warship-like $600 million Sailing Yacht A, once again designed by Philippe Starck.
Starck the Sailor?
To design something truly spectacular, one must have a deep passion for it. That much is evident in Philippe Starck’s creation of Motor Yacht A. A look into his early years explains how he managed to conceive such a groundbreaking luxury vessel in so little time.
The 76-year-old designer is no stranger to the sea. A man who prefers boats over cars, he spent his childhood racing on the Seine and later taught sea survival in the frigid waters off Brittany. His personal fleet includes a 4-meter plywood sailing yacht, designed with a simple yet profound philosophy: “I tried to reach the minimum of the minimum of the minimum.”
Whether crafting a humble sailing boat or a revolutionary superyacht, it appears Starck’s love for the sea remains his ultimate guiding force.
The renowned French designer also created Venus, the 262-foot superyacht commissioned by the late Steve Jobs for $120 million, now owned by his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs. Another notable creation is Wedge Too, a 213-foot superyacht built by Feadship and launched in 2002.
