Poltrona Frau meets Zuccon International Project to design the Jacques-Yves modular seating system for the nautical sector
by Barbara Borgonovo
The collaboration between the Poltrona Frau Custom Interiors division and the studio Zuccon International Project in Rome has given life to Jacques-Yves, the modular and customisable seating system with a wide range of components. «Boats, and yachts, in particular, are seen as private islands guaranteeing their owners not only comfort but also safety. That is why we have been developing products specifically for the yachting world with Zuccon International Project in Rome, adding value to our offering», stated Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau.
«Thanks to the contribution of Zuccon International Project, we want to introduce ourselves to the market with an innovative product, specifically designed for the superyacht nautical segment». Nicola Coropulis
The collaboration between the Poltrona Frau division and the Rome-based studio led by Bernardo and Martina Zuccon is based on common purposes and capabilities, their ability to relate to customers and support their ideas, as well as on the willingness to associate their vision and identity with the client’s culture and values. The common goal is to achieve results that go beyond the sphere of aesthetics and constitute a synthesis of the complexity of construction and use that characterises the nautical sector.
«WE APPROACHED THE PROJECT ACCORDING TO A PRINCIPLE THAT ALLOWED US TO OBTAIN AN OBJECT THAT AT FIRST GLANCE APPEARS TO BE DESTINED ONLY FOR DOMESTIC USE DUE TO ITS LINES, STYLE, AND LIGHTNESS, BUT WHICH IN REALITY HAS ALL THE MOST TYPICAL FUNCTIONS LINKED TO THE TRADITION OF THE ANCIENT BOAT FURNITURE MAKERS». MARTINA
AND BERNARDO ZUCCON
«Designing a sofa for the yachting market was both an unusual and a fascinating challenge, above all because of this partnership with Poltrona Frau, an internationally renowned company with which I am happy to embark on what will hopefully become a long-term collaboration. In approaching this project, we tried to identify the primary need that the object would be required to satisfy, because in the words of the famous Charles Eames – ‘recognizing the need is the primary condition for design’. The real turning point in approaching a project so different from those I am used to was applying all my baggage of experience in the world of yachts to designing a sofa that does solve the problems raised by its unusual location: an environment that moves on water», said Bernardo Zuccon.
The first outcome of the partnership between Poltrona Frau Custom Interiors and Zuccon International Project is the Jacques-Yves modular seating system, which can be used both indoors and outdoors. A versatile and flexible system, not only in the composition and the large variety of available finishes but also transversal in its use, from the home to yacht and hospitality sectors. Its timeless, sober, and essential design dialogues harmoniously with any ambience, whether sumptuous or minimalist, responding to a multicultural and heterogeneous market niche.
The sofas are upholstered in Pelle Frau leather and fabric for indoor use and waterproof fabrics for outdoors. These materials offer extraordinary textures emphasised by some striking craft finishes, such as the leather weaves on the backs and sides of the armchairs, enveloping curved wood profiles with fluid and organic shapes.
The sofas are characterised by boxy lines that develop horizontally. Their volumes are generous, but with compact dimensions, designed to limit the bulk inside the boat, one of the main constraints of the nautical world. Elements such as armrests and seat depth are reduced to the minimum, ensuring comfort and harmony of form. Storage compartments of the same size as the sofa, always precious in nautical interiors, are built into the seats – a new feature in sofas for this sector.
(Poltrona Frau and Zuccon International Project, the Jacques-Yves system – Barchemagazine.com – July 2022)
