Nick Stark Design Releases 94m Project Crystal

The unveiling of Project Crystal follows soon after that of 98m Project Wave. Since establishing the Nick Stark Design studio, the former Silver Yachts naval architect has demonstrated a flair for creativity with an already extensive, and rapidly growing, portfolio of diverse concepts.

Project Crystal takes her name after the striking crystalline lattice that defines her superstructure, as Nick Stark explains: “We wanted to create an aesthetic that is celebratory. The lines flow up and across, both lifting our gaze and also guiding it to what is around us: the people, the community, and the environment.”

Connecting her guests to the outdoor environment, Project Crystal has vast outdoor deck space and three (yes, three!) pools to choose from. Guests will have to decide whether to indulge in the private jacuzzi on the owner’s deck, the sun deck spa with glazed floor, or the pool in the aft deck party zone.

“The play of light through the glazed floor of the sun deck spa further opens up the interior of the owner’s deck. The atrium-like effect brings light that is both soothing and dynamic to the lounge below,” continues Stark.

“As with all our designs, the impact of a vessel on its context is crucial – environmental considerations extend from the controllable pitch propellers which maximise efficiency, through to the hydrodynamic optimisations of the hull, hybrid power systems and glazing arrangements that maximise solar gain.”

The 2500 GT yacht is designed for swift global navigation. Crafted with a relentless focus on hydrodynamic fundamentals, the sleek unadorned underwater lines provide both fuel efficiency and superb seakeeping characteristics. Seakeeping is further enhanced by the fin-and-gyro pairing of the active seakeeping system. “Fins provide excellent seakeeping at speed,” Stark elaborates, “while gyroscopes perform admirably with the vessel at rest.” The active stabilisation systems also enhance the usability of the foredeck helipad, maximising safety in a range of ocean conditions.

“The feeling of sanctuary is central to the design – we have aimed to create a safe, relaxing space that is beautiful to approach and beautiful to experience on board.”

Speaking recently to Superyachts.com, Nick Stark gave an insight into the innovative approach to design that has allowed the studio to develop creative concepts that are grounded in reality, and ultimately ‘buildable’.

“What we’ve managed to pull off with this design is this slightly outrageous superstructure detail that is totally buildable,” Stark told Superyachts.com. Integral to this design process are a series of intricate software systems, which have simplified the otherwise complex elements that tie design with the realities of naval architecture.

“There are about 6 or 7 pieces of software in the pipeline,” explains Stark. “It leans on software quite heavily to be able to simplify the process.

“The approach to the design came from the thought that one day you may be accountable for actually producing it. The way it is designed and the way it is modelled, it’s buildable and doable, not just high in the sky. The clarity of lines, it’s an interplay of the simplicity of the surfacing and the complexity of the detail. There is a layer of surfacing that folds across the top, there’s surfacing that moves in so many different directions, and we actually had to build software to visualise that.”

Nick Stark’s experience working on exceptional superyachts with Silver Yachts, his creativity, and the advanced technology incorporated during the design phases, has benefitted the industry with a new portfolio of forward-thinking concepts. Project Crystal is the latest of these eye-catching designs.

“I’d love to see it built and it is buildable,” concludes Stark. “It is possible to do beautiful, interesting designs for no more money than a tedious, quotidian thing.”