COVETED MAGAZINE PAGE 45.
BANNENBERG &
ROWELL DESIGN
DICKIE BANNENBERG AND SIMON ROWELL
Bannenberg & Rowell is an award-winning superyacht design studio
based in Fulham, the direct descendent of the Jon Bannenberg studio
established in the early 1960s. Headed by Dickie Bannenberg and
Simon Rowell, the studio is renowned for its creative, contemporary
and approachable design – both in interior and exterior. In addition
the team undertake residential, aircraft and furniture design.
We had the pleasure of catching up with Dickie Bannenberg, who
revealed that his father used to say that nobody needs a yacht.
However, Dickie looks at his work as a position of amazing privilege,
because “as a designer you are creating something bespoke for clients
who are accustomed to the very best.” The designer admits that
the studio has no typical client. “But they are connected by seeking
progressive and interesting design. Some have a pretty advanced idea
of what they want, others less so, and look to us for setting out the
design map.”
When it comes to yacht trends, Dickie believes that “there is an
unmistakable momentum towards creating better exterior spaces
which interact with the sea. Think balconies, terraces, beach clubs.
Elsewhere, glazing technological advances allowing larger windows
and more natural light. At a certain size of yacht, you might see thick
glass panels in the hull, above and below the waterline.”
Regarding craftsmanship, Dickie admits that the custom yacht
industry supports many craftsmen, artisans and specialists. “From the
perspective of interior design, the field widens hugely with craftsmen
and women out there able to tackle anything a designer can imagine.”
The studio has won multiple World Superyacht and International
Superyacht Society awards and was included by Architectural Digest
in their Top 100 Designers. Yacht projects have been completed at
almost every leading yard, including nine new builds at Feadship,
seven at Heesen and projects at Abeking & Rasmussen, Lürssen,
Benetti, Trinity, Baglietto, Palmer Johnson and Admiral Technomar.
For the future, the designer expects an equally diverse nature of yacht
design due to the diverse range of clients, claiming that “explorer
yachts are certainly becoming more prevalent. You could say that
privacy is the new luxury and in that sense, owners like to venture
further afield, away from the rather familiar waters of the Cote
d’Azur and Caribbean. For my part, I’d like to see a much deeper
environmental commitment on the part of everyone involved in
yachting. Tighter standards, tougher regulations and a pivot away
from some of the materials viewed as rare and luxurious finishes.”
INSPIRATIONS //
