Who would’ve thought Kanye West would be looking at boats when designing his ever-popular YEEZY Foam Runner sneakers? While the shoes have been caught up in their fair share of controversy with Amazon even being sued for selling fakes, the Foam Runner has continued to dominate the coastline and pool parties across the country. And while we’re unable to confirm that the 2013 collaboration between Blohm+Voss and Zaha Hadid Architects to create a Yeezy Foam Runner boat is anything more than a coincidence, it’s fair to say there’s a great deal of design language shared between the silhouettes.
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects
Length: 90.0M (295 FT)
Top speed: 16.0 KN
Cruising speed: 14.0KN
Range: 5000 Nautical Miles
Class: Lloyd’s Register
Propulsion: 2X2160 KW, Diesel via a gearbox to fixed prop
Manoeuvring system: 1 X Bow thruster
The resemblance between the Yeezy Foam Runner and Zaha Hadid Architects’ design Superyacht is uncanny. Putting a lens on the fluid dynamics displayed beneath the surface of the ocean and the ecosystems they house, the exoskeleton structure of the yacht includes interwoven networks of thick structural pieces, just like the sneaker. Each interwoven piece connects levels with sharp diagonals, yet remains seamless at the same time.
“As a dynamic object that moves in dynamic environments, the design of a yacht must incorporate additional parameters beyond those for architecture – which all become much more extreme on water. Each yacht is an engineered platform that integrates specific hydrodynamic and structural demands together with the highest levels of comfort, spatial quality and safety,’ said Hadid.
The project encompassed five different yachts built to specification between 128m and 90m in length, with the final design being at the discretion of the owner. As you can see from the 128m master prototype above, the shorter 90m yachts below encompass a similar design philosophy while allowing flexibility and customisation at the hands of Blohm+Voss. The superyacht builders and more than comfortable designing some of the biggest boats on the planet, with the groundbreaking 394-foot “Designed by Philippe Starck” and the “Eclipse,” designed by Terrence Disdale, being some of their most recent achievements.
“The idea of the Unique Circle Yachts allows for variation of a genotype and its phenotypes, offering a range of possible solutions based on a cognate platform. As a result, Zaha Hadid’s design is malleable to suit the very individual wishes and needs of a potential customer which lies at the heart of Blohm+Voss’ approach to yacht design. The strength of the design lies not just in its functionality and form, but also its effortless adaptability,” said CEO and Managing Partner, Dr Herbert Aly.
As for the price of the Yeezy Foam Runner superyacht, if you have to ask don’t bother, but for reference ‘Motor Yacht A’ is priced at well over $300 Million so expect an equally as impressive figure. And as for the price of the Yeezy Foam Runner, pricing for the OG ‘Ararat’ colour has sat steadily around the $700-800 AUD mark according to market data provided by StockX. Can you think of a better shoe for a little time on the ‘Jazz’ superyacht? Neither can we.
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