Lila-Lou London were tuned in to the idea of globetrotting yachts looking a bit more aggressive and less lady-like soon after the company’s founding in 2005. In fact, in 2009 the design team created a megayacht that drew inspiration from offroading 4×4 vehicles. Called the Double L 45, the design was a motoryacht measuring 147 feet (45 meters). In this Designer’s Notebook, one of Lila-Lou London’s principals, Alexander Isaac, explains how Double L 45 has undergone transformations—some initiated by the in-house team, and others from an interested client—including growing about 14 feet.
“On the books/drawing boards/computers at any particular moment, we have a good mix of real live projects, paid and competitive pitches, plus a number of speculations we develop with any spare downtime. One such good example of the later is our exterior design for the motoryacht Double-L.
“Eager to publish our first visuals of Double-L, she was indeed featured in an article on this very website in mid-2009. In hindsight, it was early on in the development of the concept to release such information, but now given this opportunity to write a piece for the Designer’s Notebook some two and a half years later, it gives a decent insight as to how an in-house development project progresses.
“Following on from those stylized visuals first produced for publication and the feedback received, we decided to develop the concept further. Basing the yacht loosely on hull lines from a stock platform we had in our archives, the design grew from 45 to 49m, increasing the overall interior volume and projected GRT to just below 500. In order to produce a more detailed presentation, we created a 3D styling model in CAD at 1:1, and from this produced new renderings and 2D CAD sections for design drawings. The new exterior ‘look and feel’ gained a smoother, nuanced ‘flame-surfaced’ feel by comparison to the original angular and aggressive profile, more in keeping with the direction of our other exterior design work and house styling theme.
“Around the same time, we were working on a land-based project with a Swiss businessman and his representatives, who expressed interest in this particular exterior and our unpretentious ethos behind it, namely a practical but beautiful, functional but luxurious SUV for the sea. Although not personally requiring a yacht, he believed the concept was strong enough to be worthwhile advancing and did count amongst his activities an Italian luxury brand. The company is predominantly renowned for personal and household accessories but also residential, commercial, and hotel design; our contact suggested collaboration in order to further the interior development as a joint venture and a diversified showcase for their creative talents.
“After several meetings in Switzerland and Milan, we eventually arrived at a new and original general arrangement plan, courtesy of some ‘out of the box’ thinking from the Italian designers, who had also defined a handsome, contemporary architecture and decorative specification.
“As is often the case with this type of undertaking, both our companies became busy with real projects and their associated deadlines, so unfortunately it is again on hiatus. However, we remain very keen on this platform, having taken it from a preliminary draft proposal to a viable venture; it will stay on our books ready to be resurrected given spare time or new client interest.”
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