Living it up at sea goes beyond luxury embellishments, as attested by the strikingly contemporary interior style of this yacht designed by Michael K. Chen Architecture (MKCA). Titled ‘pied-à-mer’ by the designers, this ‘foot on the sea’ residence is intended as a vacation home for a globe-trotting couple and their adult children. In MKCA’s good hands, the luxury yacht was transformed into a one-bedroom apartment that transitions seamlessly into a two-bedder.
MKCA drew inspiration from renowned architect Le Corbusier’s interest in mid-century steamship design and married it with their own expertise in small-scale living. The team ran a tight ship, weaving a series of prefabricated pod-like fixtures into the design for this floating apartment. Embedded with folding cantilevered beds and integrated appliances that hide away easily, the overall space is organised efficiently and delivers adaptability for any occasion. The team describes these convertible concepts as a “streamlining and smoothening of the yacht’s functional dimensions.”
Pushing through the limits of space with clever and out-of-the-box measures, MKCA has managed to carve out two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dressing room, a sitting room, a trunk room and even a landing zone—all within the tight footprint of this 600-square-foot residence.
This post was adapted from an article originally published in the January 2021 issue of SquareRooms.
