Friday, August 28, 2009

Planned $95M superyacht looks like a killer whale












A spectacular superyacht has been designed by an internationally renowned urban planning architect in a very unusual shape.The design of "Oculus" was inspired by the jaw and eye socket bone structure of large oceanic fish and mammals.

The design of "Oculus" was inspired by the jaw and eye-socket bone structure of large oceanic creatures.

The planned seventy-six meter long "Oculus," which is designed for 12 guests, looks like a large sea creature, with one end looking uncannily like the jaw and eye socket of a shark or a killer whale.

A second design, the futuristic, 91-meter "Infinitas," is based on the figure-of-eight shape of an infinity loop.

The pair are the brainchild of Kevin Schopfer, a Boston, Massachusetts-based architect who felt the design of luxury yachts should move away from generic boat shapes to something more playful.

The two eye-catching designs, which include inside swimming pools and helipads, are still looking for someone to stump up the cash to pay for them. With a starting price of $95 million for Oculus and $140 million for Infinitas, they won't come cheap.

But Schopfer has teamed with naval architecture firm Sparkman & Stevens to build more of the vessels.

"There are several potential clients interested in both Oculus and Infinitas and discussions are ongoing," he told reporters. "And we are also working on several more yachts."