Lazzarini Superyacht – Not Your Usual Swan Song

The concept of drawing inspiration from the animal world for industrial design inspiration is of course not a new one, but Italian designer, Piepaolo Lazzarini, has notched that up a level or two with his latest animal-like design. While some designers will take their cues from fierce apex predators like the shark, eagle, jaguar or stingray, this Lazzarini superyacht was inspired by the very un-fierce or predatory features of a um… swan.

And he must really love these graceful, slightly stuck up birds as he has dedicated five years of his life in reimagining them as a 137 metre superyacht. Coined, the vessel’s standout feature is a swan-neck-like adjustable crane arm for holding and dispatching a small tender that resembles a swan’s head (of course it does).

Before you go writing him off as just another crazy designer with an AutoCAD license and a one way ticket to Bonkers Island, there might be some method in all this madness. It’s given him global press and maybe just enough publicity to get it across to the sort of person who has a shared appreciation for nautical birdlife and the spare $500 million required to turn the Avanguardia into reality. As well as having a floating homage to swans, the owner of this Lazzarini superyacht will also have themselves five decks, which include two helipads, a swimming pool, jacuzzi and a load of sunbathing and social areas for up to 60 guests while cruising. I’m not really sure how to wrap this up poetically now, so I’ll borrow a swan quote from a better writer:

“Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan’s egg.”
– Hans Christian Andersen