Forza, Piano!

There are two blue masts rising above the Moskva River. These are the chimneys of HPP-2 (Hydroelectric Power Plant #2), the new cultural center, opening of which was the main cultural event of December, if not of the whole year. The author of the reconstruction of the former power plant, neighboring with the House on the Embankment by Boris Iofan, was the outstanding Italian architect Renzo Piano (known for such projects like Pompidou Center, Paul Klee Center, NEMO Museum). The rebuilt hydroelectric power plant resembles light sailing ship. And Piano says he likes this comparison, since the sea and yachts play an essential role in the life of the great Genoese.

Piano built his first boat with his own hands in his father's garage. He was eight years old and miscalculated the dimensions of it. To get the boat out of the garage, he had to remove the door. In the time of his youth, the harbor in his native Genoa was his favorite place: massive ships and light sailing yachts, wharves, and moving lightweight cranes - all of these forms he would use later, when he conceived his high-tech projects.

Marine and terrestrial design were in synergy in his creations. One may recall the famous project of the NEMO Museum in Amsterdam. It is a fantastic ship reaching out for the sky. It is placed on the seashore on top of a tunnel. If the tunnel goes down under the water, the building, faced with patinated copper, rises up at the same angle. Renzo Piano considered Amsterdam to be a rather flat city, and it lacked a sufficient number of elevated observation points, so he built one. In NEMO you take the elevator up and sit in the open amphitheater, from where you can view all of Amsterdam. Intentionally or not, the amphitheater on the museum ship foreshadowed the modern terraced beach clubs of megayachts. 

Although Piano is known for much bigger projects, he also succeeds in smaller projects, invariably affected by his fascination with the sea. For example, the minimalist prefabricated house “Diogenes” for the Vitra furniture factory, named (and you guessed it right!) after the ancient Greek philosopher-cynic, who, according to legend, lived in a barrel. 

Measuring 2.4 by 2.4 meters, the house is equipped with solar panels and rainwater collection systems and is therefore fully autonomous.

“Its first sketches appeared fifteen years ago,” explains Renzo Piano. - “I have built several yachts with my own hands, and ‘Diogenes’ encapsulates all of my experience. It is a minimal space for living and “spiritual tranquility” in beautiful, unspoiled corners of the world“. ‘Diogenes’ gives you what you really need on a daily basis and not a bit of anything else above it."

Did the architect design a yacht after that childhood experience with the boat in the garage? Of course, he did. Last fall, the 24-meter yacht Zattera was launched at Castagnola Yacht in Lavagna (Liguria). Her design is based on the practices and developments of Piano and the Norwegian engineer Olav Selvaag. They have known each other for over twenty years and worked together on a project for a museum in Norway. Nauta Design brought their ideas to the final project together with NAMES by Francesco Rogantin. The hybrid propulsion system was developed by Siemens Energy.

The idea of such a boat was born five years ago, when Piano and Salvaag were sailing with their families in Sardinia. The Italian architect fancied an eco-friendly boat, moving almost silently in order not to interfere with the contemplation of nature. Zattera (Italian for “raft”) was conceived as a vessel for leisurely cruising the sea in comfort. Just sailing along the Italian Riviera, enjoying the views, while soaking up the southern sun. The yacht lives up to its name: its hull is made of solid wood. For the maestro of glass, metal, and concrete, this is particularly appealing and evokes biblical associations with “being in the belly of the whale.” Although Salvaag says that they originally had the idea of a yacht made of... glass and concrete. Seriously. 

What should be noted, though, is that the superstructure is quite in the style of Renzo Piano. It is almost completely glazed and seems weightless. There is a control station and sofas with a table. The bow of the deck houses a RIB and a paddleboat. Closer to the transom, there is a round dining table. The furnishings are spartan, almost like in a Diogenes house. The swimming club, folding platforms, and other “luxuries” are out of the question. You will have to go down the stairs to the sea. The deck is located almost at the waterline level.

The hull has six cabins designed in the same minimalist style. There are many portholes inside and windows in the high ceiling, so the rooms are filled with natural light.

«Raft» can reach a maximum speed of 12 knots. The Siemens Energy diesel-electric propulsion system features low vibration and noise levels, and harmful emissions are minimized. Volvo Penta D4-300 engines are complemented by lithium-ion batteries. Zattera is equipped with solar panels. All these systems have been specifically developed so that Zattera can remain autonomous for long periods of time, both while on the move and in the marina.

The motorized Zattero was preceded by two sailing boat projects, built by Renzo Piano for himself. In 1999-2000 he designed the 18-meter sailing yacht Kirribilli together with Emanuela Balletto and the Vismara studio. The name means «fish place» in the Australian Aboriginal language. It is also the name of the Sydney suburb where Piano built a structure that resembles an unfurling sail. The monocoque hull sloop was developed from the idea to do modern homage to the J-class boats of the 1930s. The main feature of Kirribilli is the combination of advanced construction technology, research in hydrodynamics, and technical performance with understated elegance in the impeccable style of Renzo Piano. No unnecessary “trappings.” The hull, deck, and bulkheads were painted in mother-of-pearl color, and the furniture, characterized by simplicity of form, resembled wooden art objects.

In 2007, Renzo Piano contacted Nauta Yachts Design and Reichel Pugh and built Kirribilli II, 72 feet (approximately 22 meters) long, with an aggressive design and hybrid diesel-electric propulsion.

Renzo Piano was called «the architect of light» by the classic Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura in a biographical documentary made for his eightieth birthday. He can be rightfully called “the architect of the sea and the wind as well.