Inside 377ft ‘sci-fi’ superyacht with a suspended glass-bottomed pool and ‘virtual’ command centre

A jaw-dropping superyacht that looks like something from a sci-fi space movie could be the future of luxury at sea.

HIVE is a 377ft concept vessel with a suspended glass pool, an underwater lounge and a futuristic command centre that swaps the traditional bridge windows for cameras and sensors.

Renderings show a cavernous central atrium lined with curved wooden balconies stacked on top of each other, a bit like cells in a honeycomb.

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Running straight through the middle is a glass-bottomed infinity pool, which appears to float in mid-air above the space below.

The pool extends indoors from a 20-metre (66ft) outdoor pool on the owner’s deck, which features patented ContraWave technology.

A jaw-dropping superyacht that looks like something from a sci-fi space movie could be the future of luxury at sea - with a suspended glass pool and underwater lounge. — *Feadship Concept – HIVE. (Jam Press/Feadship)*

Meanwhile, the virtual command centre looks more like the flight deck of a spaceship than the bridge of a boat.

Pictures show two sleek captain’s chairs on a raised platform, facing a panoramic wraparound screen displaying live views of the sea along with navigation data.

Because navigation relies on cameras and sensors, the front of the superstructure is freed up for the owner’s accommodation and an observation lounge.

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For close-quarters manoeuvring, retractable glass wing stations give the crew a direct view outside, as reported by Whats The Jam.

The observation lounge above has a retractable glass roof for uninterrupted views of the night sky, while an underwater lounge offers an expansive view below the surface.

At the heart of the yacht is a vast open space stretching across four decks.

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On the main deck, it can be transformed into a saloon, stage or auditorium, with terraces opening out on both sides.

Curved staircases link balconies and more intimate spaces above, while service pantries, furniture storage and a green room mean the space can host anything from family life to performances, lectures and large gatherings.

Elsewhere on board, a two-storey beach lounge leads to water-level dining for 24 or more people.

There is also a circular, glass-enclosed library on the foredeck, which opens onto a secluded garden.

The concept was developed by a team from Studio De Voogt, led by senior designer Jan Schaffers, working alongside Feadship’s naval architects and engineers.

It was revealed at the Monaco Yacht Show.

Designers created a fictional family of four to give the project a human context and shape the yacht around how its owners might want to live on board.

Many of the ideas came from Feadship’s partnership with Boat International’s Young Designer of the Year competition, with the finalists invited to the Netherlands to work alongside the studio’s designers.

Their discussions kept returning to the idea of a central space where people could come together before heading off to their own pursuits, and the ‘hive’ concept was born.

The design also took inspiration from the salons of 1930s Paris, with spaces for conversation, culture, entertainment and exchange.

“HIVE is designed around the idea that experiences can change people,” said Jan Schaffers.

“We wanted to explore what becomes possible when you start not with what a yacht has always been, but with how people might want to live on board in the near future.”

Despite its sci-fi looks, Feadship insists the design could actually be built, using technology that already exists or is in active development.

The yacht would run on a DC electrical system combining three 900 kW generators powered by HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), fuel cells and a 5 MWh battery bank.

For zero-emission operation, power can be supplied by seven 75 kW solid oxide fuel cells or nine 250 kW PEM fuel cells combined with a methanol reformer.

According to Feadship, battery capacity is around five times that of its 1 MWh Savannah yacht, within a comparable footprint.

Instead of conventional rudders, HIVE would use Voith Schneider Propellers, which provide precise thrust in any direction and are already used on ferries and research vessels.

HIVE is being presented privately at the House of Feadship during the Monaco Yacht Show, where invited guests can explore a scale model and meet the designer.