PROJECT ANANDA: DESIGNING A MORE CONSIDERED EXPERIENCE AT SEA

Project Ananda takes its name from the Sanskrit word Ananda, associated with bliss, joy and happiness. It is an apt starting point for a yacht conceived around a quieter interpretation of luxury, one in which the quality of time spent onboard is given as much consideration as performance, materials or scale.

The 72-metre motor yacht has been developed by Dutch shipbuilder Heesen Yachts in collaboration with Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design. Its design brings together naval architecture, exterior styling and interior planning as a single exercise, with the relationship between the yacht and its surroundings informing much of the experience.

Rather than relying on elaborate exterior detailing, Ananda is defined by a restrained profile. Long horizontal lines establish a sense of length, while broad glazing and gently graduated decks create visual continuity between the interior and the sea. The aft decks descend towards the water in a series of terraces, giving different areas of the yacht a direct relationship with the horizon.

The exterior design also incorporates a subtle tumblehome, allowing the superstructure to transition more softly into the hull. The resulting proportions are deliberately composed, with geometry and sightlines doing much of the visual work.

Underneath this calm exterior lies a technical platform developed for efficiency as well as range. Ananda is built on a steel hull and equipped with a hybrid propulsion system combining twin MTU engines with PTI/PTO gearboxes. The yacht has a stated range of 5,000 nautical miles at 12 knots and a maximum speed of 16 knots.

The hybrid system also supports a quieter mode of operation. According to Heesen, Ananda can cruise silently for up to four hours, an ability that complements the yacht’s wider emphasis on tranquillity. At sea, reducing mechanical noise can change the character of an environment; on Ananda, that possibility is incorporated into the engineering brief rather than treated simply as a technical specification.

The same philosophy continues indoors. Sinot’s design is organised around the themes of Serene, Nature and Architecture, creating a visual language based on natural materials, softened forms and carefully managed light.

Light oak and other textured woods provide warmth, while stone with subtle veining introduces variation without dominating the rooms. Metal details and sculptural elements add definition, but the overall material palette remains restrained. Curved partitions soften transitions between spaces, while diffused lighting contributes to the quieter atmosphere.

This approach is particularly evident in the yacht’s circulation. Rather than treating movement between rooms as purely functional, the design uses changes in volume, sightlines and natural light to create a sequence of experiences.

One of the most distinctive examples is the midships side-entry lobby. A shell door opens to form a private boarding platform, leading towards a glass elevator and central staircase. The arrangement creates a more discreet arrival into the yacht, allowing guests to enter without passing directly through the principal social areas.

The relationship between different levels is similarly deliberate. Full-height glazing brings the outside landscape into the living spaces, while vertical openings connect the Main Deck and Upper Deck lounges. These visual connections help create a sense of greater openness while retaining separate areas for gathering, conversation and retreat.

Wellness occupies a significant position within the layout. The lower-deck spa is located amidships, separated from the more active social areas. Its facilities include a hammam, sauna, massage room and relaxation spaces, creating an environment dedicated to restoration.

The wellness concept extends to the yacht’s broader arrangement. The Sun Deck provides an area for outdoor activity and relaxation, while the various aft terraces encourage guests to move closer to the water. The emphasis is not simply on providing more facilities, but on creating different ways of experiencing the same surroundings.

The Owner’s Deck takes a residential approach. The owner’s suite has been conceived less as a conventional yacht cabin and more as a private apartment, combining sleeping, working and lounging areas within a connected environment. The intention is to provide a sense of continuity rather than separating each function into discrete rooms.

Guest accommodation follows a similarly generous philosophy. The VIP suite on the Bridge Deck has been designed to approach the scale and quality of the owner’s accommodation. That arrangement reflects a broader shift in contemporary yacht design towards spaces that allow families, friends and guests to share the experience without creating an obvious hierarchy in comfort.

This attention to equality and flexibility is complemented by the yacht’s emphasis on privacy. Spaces can feel connected when desired, while separate areas provide opportunities to withdraw. It is a balance that becomes increasingly important on larger yachts, where an abundance of space can otherwise create a fragmented experience.

Project Ananda’s design philosophy is closely connected to Heesen’s own history of Dutch yachtbuilding. Founded in 1978 by Frans Heesen in Oss, the Netherlands, Heesen developed a reputation for aluminium yacht construction and engineering innovation before expanding its expertise across larger motor yachts and high-performance vessels. The shipyard remains based in the Netherlands and continues to combine Dutch engineering with international design collaborations.

Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design, meanwhile, has built its practice around the relationship between architecture, interiors and human experience, working across superyachts and other highly considered environments. Its contribution to Ananda is therefore not limited to decorative decisions; the studio’s approach informs the way the yacht’s spaces connect, transition and respond to their surroundings.

What emerges from the collaboration is a yacht whose luxury is expressed through control rather than abundance. The technical systems are designed to support a quieter journey, while the architecture makes space for both sociability and solitude. Natural materials, restrained colours and carefully framed views allow the surrounding landscape to remain part of the experience.

That is perhaps the most interesting aspect of Ananda. Its ambition is not primarily expressed through a single dramatic feature, but through the accumulation of considered decisions: the positioning of a staircase, the angle of a window, the transition between decks, the choice to introduce silence through hybrid propulsion, or the decision to give wellness a central place within the layout.

At its heart, Project Ananda suggests that contemporary yacht design can be measured not only by what a vessel contains, but by the quality of the experiences it enables. Its combination of engineering, architecture and wellbeing points towards a more restrained understanding of life at sea—one in which technology becomes quieter, interiors become more intuitive, and the ocean itself remains the defining presence.