Stefano Pastrovich of Pastrovich Studio has been thinking a lot about today’s yacht buyers and emerging buyers. He’s also been thinking a lot about the principles upheld by one of his idols, Frank Lloyd Wright. The two worlds come together in a series of concept designs he has created. One, the X-Ballet shown here, can be built in sizes from 164 to 295 feet (50 to 90 meters).
To understand X-Ballet, it’s important to understand why Pastrovich is so inspired by Wright. Wright was a proponent of organic architecture. On that subject, Pastrovich likes to quote something that Wright wrote back in 1914: “By organic architecture I mean an architecture that develops from within outward in harmony with the conditions of its being as distinguished from one that is applied from without.” In other words, Wright believed that all design starts with the very essence of something’s nature, its soul. It then develops outward in unity with the immediate world around it, not as the result of the outside’s world’s requirements. About three decades later, Wright elaborated, saying, “Now, organic architecture seeks entity, it seeks that completeness in idea in execution which is absolutely true to method, true to purpose, true to character, and is as much the man who lives in it as he is himself, so that he loves it, lives it, and boasts of the fact that his house is the only house ever built. And he believes it. And it is, for him, if organic architecture has done its proper work.”
Pastrovich has applied organic architecture to all of his designs over the years, including the X-Ballet concept. As he puts it, “I’m an architect, too, and for this reason I decided to ‘import’ in my superyacht design projects many elements resulting from Frank Lloyd Wright architecture studies. One of these—which has now become a real design philosophy for all my company—is the connection between interior and exterior spaces to develop and increase human emotions.”
X-Ballet certainly reflects a strong connection between interior and exterior spaces. It’s most notable on the main deck. Here, the aft-deck doors fold back, and the full-height side glass walls slide open. X-Ballet further has a decidedly beach house decor. It stems from the bamboo-like overhead treatment and the gentle curtains intended to billow in the breeze. It further stems from the very essence of the indoor-outdoor environment. (Getting back to Wright’s philosophy, the interior design flows outward to the decks and has no constraints forced upon it.)
Another connection between the interior and exterior spaces: the hot tub. Aboard X-Ballet, Pastrovich has placed a rectangular hot tub just to starboard of the opening glass walls. It’s a welcome departure from traditional hot tub shapes and placements.
Of course, transom beach clubs make strong indoor-outdoor connections, and X-Ballet follows suit. Her beach club has a float-in submarine (or tender) garage that can become a pool. There’s abundant teak-decked space inside for furnishings and/or another tender to be stowed.
Enjoy this brief look at X-Ballet:
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