This futuristic looking, architectural coup-de-force has a lot more that just impressive size and good looks going for it. Assuming the ambitious 800 million USD project goes ahead, the world’s largest superyacht would also be a floating entertainment hub, replete with an on-board casino, theatre, art gallery and convention hall. And the good news is that you won’t need a billionaire buddy to get on board.
That’s because the ingenious project, devised by South Korean yacht designer Chulhun Park, is designed to be used by the public. Indeed, guests would purchase day passes, while its facilities could be used as venues and advertising outlets for luxury brands. “The income would help compensate for her maintenance fees, which is very rare in the private luxury yacht industry,” explains Park.
Besides going big, Park opted for a highly innovative design that nixed the traditional stacked wedding cake structure. “Her curvy shape wastes more space than a stacked, square shape,” says Park. “But the unique Trimaran hull gives 25-30 per cent more space, which helps compensate for the loss of sculptural space,” he explains.
The Trimaran hull he is referring was engineered by yacht designers Palmer Johnson Yachts and it is meant to lessen drag while cruising at high speeds, providing greater stability and also 50 per cent more fuel efficiency according to tank tests. The ship builder, which is located in America’s Great Lakes region in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and has showrooms in Fort Lauderdale and Monaco, has been supporting the project since Park developed it as his thesis while studying for his Master’s degree at the Royal College of Art in London and they’ve developed the ambitious idea into a feasible build.
Though Valkyrie is still only a concept, it’s worth noting that once the right buyer comes along, the superyacht will shatter the current superyacht length record of 180-metres of Azzam, a ship that belongs to the Ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and was delivered six years ago by German megayacht builder Lürssen. It will also cost 180 million USD more to build. Who will be the lucky bidder?
