BLOG | Inspired by kings: An opulent interior for MY Tis

The 111 metre long motor yacht Tis stands out from the crowd thanks to its magnificent interior, inspired by the style of the French king Louis XVI. The Bad Erlach-based company List General Contractor (List GC) was responsible for implementing the design.

“Light, fresh and open, but with a classic touch” – this was the design brief given by the owner for their 111 metre long, almost 17 metre wide MY Tis. The multi-award winning London design studio Winch Design ensured that the yacht exuded stunning elegance and spaciousness both inside and out by creating spaces filled with light materials and flooded with natural light. The sophisticated, highly detailed interior of Tis matches its elegant exterior design, emphasising its timeless charm. It makes use of exclusive materials, such as pure white Calacatta Vagli marble laced with delicate marble and gold veins. The owner’s area has retained their vintage luxury style, inspired by the interior design of Louis XVI’s palaces: Lacquered finishes, gilded rails, filigree elements and sumptuous materials are what makes this room special. Most of the French antiques in the lounge have come from the owner’s private collection, which gives the interior of this luxury yacht a very personal touch.

The superyacht was delivered to the owner by Lürssen in June 2019. For the interior outfitting of the yacht, the German shipbuilder called on List GC’s experience and quality craftsmanship. Across a total area of 722.5 m2, the Austrian interior outfitter was responsible for a number of tasks, including outfitting the entire owner’s area, the informal and formal lounges, the cinema and the captain’s cabin.

Interior outfitting to PYC standards
Tis was constructed according to the internationally recognised Passenger Yacht Code IV (PYC IV), which sets out technical and operational safety standards for yachts. This includes particularly strict requirements when it comes to the weight and fire safety of the interior. Only specific certified support plates and materials are permitted for use. For instance, the curved wall panelling on the staircase uses support plates made entirely of highly flame-resistant foam glass. No mean feat, seeing as foam glass is very difficult to shape. The substructure was then finished using matt streak coating and decorated with gold framing. Two specialists were commissioned to complete this lacquer work; they used a special lacquering technique on all coated surfaces in order to guarantee a smooth, seamless look throughout the yacht.

The elegant, sweeping double staircase takes you to the informal lounge on the owner’s deck. The staircase is made partly of marble with a brushed, gilded wrought iron railing with a handrail made of polished mahogany, finished with 23.8 carat gold decoration. The curved wall panelling in the informal lounge was also made using foam glass before being finished with lacquer, decorative trim and delicate ornamentation. Even the filigree ornamental decoration had to be manufactured using a certified material. This meant that the creation of the carved wooden decorations for the wall panelling was particularly challenging. First, the decorations were carved from wood. The resulting carvings were then used to produce three-dimensional moulds, which were then used to cast replicas of the decoration made of certified material. The highlights of the informal lounge are the large ceiling domes with chandeliers: The interior panels were 3D milled and covered with embossed leather that has been soaked in a fire-resistant liquid. The entire room has been decorated to a light green and cream colour scheme and offers 180-degree views.

The oval dining room was just as challenging. The wall panels for this room had to be perfectly curved – down to the nearest millimetre – to ensure that they would fit into the substructure. Each curved panel therefore had to be produced individually. Aside from this feat, the dining room combines elegance with unexpected functionality. The custom-made table has enough space to comfortably seat 16 dinner guests. If required, this space can be converted into a conference room: Plug sockets are hidden away in veneered inserts. What’s more, a retractable screen for videoconferences is concealed behind a large painting.

Opulent ceiling features
The owner’s bedroom boasts another impressive ceiling feature. A vast skylight positioned directly above the bed allows natural light to flood the room. The large profiled decorations in the ceiling were 3D milled and finished with a piece of art. Due to its oval shape, the technical planning process for the skylight was extremely complex – every element had to fit together precisely. The assembly process, too, was an elaborate challenge due to the skylight’s considerable weight.

A cinema at the heart of the yacht
The Art Deco style cinema at the centre of the yacht is one of the owner’s favourite rooms on the ship – which made it a particular challenge for the interior outfitters. The specialists from List GC created a completely soundproof, darkened room that offers outstanding comfort: The walls are made of stained flame maple, supported by a stainless steel frame filled with acoustic material. Here, and behind the screen, the room features powerful loudspeakers. A three-sided lighting rail reaching from wall to wall across the ceiling provides lighting for the room. The oversized couches and fauteuils are upholstered in beige Alcantara that appears lighter or darker as it is brushed. The tables are removable and can be attached to the couches thanks to an ingenious connector system.

Once finished to List GC’s proven quality standards, the project was delivered to Lürssen on their specified delivery date in December 2018. The MY Tis was presented to the public for the first time at the Monaco Yacht Show in September 2019 and at 111 metres long, it is the largest motor yacht that has ever been showcased at the show. At the 6th MYS Superyacht Awards in Monaco, Tis was additionally awarded the prize for “Best Interior Design”. Having made this distinguished interior a reality, List GC has once again demonstrated that this Bad Erlach-based company has earned its place among the top outfitters in the high-end luxury yacht class.

“It was clear from a very early stage that we were going to get a very high-quality finish from List GC. A few things stand out to our team – namely, how clean and organised the List GC workers are on board and within the List GC facilities. This comes down to very good management, control and communication with all parties involved. I do hope that we can work with List GC again very soon on a new project.”
Rob Maguire, Build Captain / Project Manager MY Tis

MY Tis
Length: 111 m
Shipyard & Naval Architect: Lürssen, Germany
Interior Designer: Winch Design, UK
Exterior Designer: Winch Design, UK
Interior Outfitter: List General Contractor, Austria
List GC fitting area LUX: 722,5 m², owner´s, captain´s and public areas