🎨 THE DESIGN JOURNEY:

The story of ”KENSHO” ’s design begins with a remarkable phase of empirical research that has become legendary within the yachting community. In the winter of 2016, prior to commissioning a single line of naval architecture, Mueller embarked on a global tour to inspect the competition.

Reports indicate that Mueller and his design lead visited approximately 100 of the world’s most prestigious superyachts. This was not a standard brokerage tour. Mueller was not looking to buy - he was looking to measure. Armed with digital tape measures, Mueller and his team boarded these vessels and meticulously recorded the dimensions of every space: the height of the deckheads, the width of the corridors, the angle of the stairs and the volume of the guest cabins.

This behavior baffled the crews of the yachts he visited. Many captains and stews, accustomed to prospective buyers admiring the upholstery or the view, were perplexed by a billionaire obsessively measuring the ceiling height of a pantry. The process was jokingly referred to as an ‘industrial espionage mission’ by the crews. However, for Mueller, this data was critical.

This is what he noticed:

• Standardization of Vertical Space: Regardless of the yacht's length, ceiling heights rarely exceeded 2.2 meters, creating a compressed, ‘bunker-like’ feeling in the interior • Inefficient Flows: Interaction between crew and guests was often clumsy, with service paths intersecting guest relaxation zones in obtrusive ways • Wasted Real Estate: The ‘main salon’, traditionally the centerpiece of a yacht's interior, was frequently a dead space, a formal museum room that guests bypassed in favor of outdoor decks

In the winter of 2016, following the conclusion of his research, Mueller crystallized his vision into a single, elemental document: a pencil sketch consisting of just twelve lines. This sketch provided the DNA design for every subsequent decision made by the thousands of engineers and craftsmen who would work on the project over the next six years.

He picked Jouin Manku for the interior design. The Parisian studio is world-renowned for high-end hospitality projects like the Plaza Athénée in Paris and the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. However, they had never designed a yacht before. Mueller viewed this lack of maritime experience as their greatest asset, unburdened by the dogmas of yacht design.

The team made the controversial decision to move the wheelhouse down to the main deck! The forward section of the upper deck offers the best views on the ship. Traditionally, this prime real estate is given to the captain and the navigation equipment but Mueller argued that the owner and guests, not the crew, should enjoy the best view.

Having removed the traditional main salon in the main deck, the main deck aft is dedicated to a dining area and direct access to the pool/beach club. The primary indoor living space was moved to the upper deck, where it merges with the forward observation lounge to create a massive, continuous loft-like space with 270-degree views.

One of the non-negotiables derived from Mueller’s was the ceiling height. He refused to accept the industry standard of 2.1 meters, that’s why ”KENSHO” features 2.7m (8.8 ft) ceilings throughout the main guest areas.