There are many bays, coastlines and beaches across the Med and other popular cruising grounds that struggle with capacity for anchorages and jetties to allow tenders and small boats to come ashore for long summer lunches. 

I saw the Lotus Marina concept at the end of last year, presented at the Yacht Club de Monaco’s Smart Marina Summit, hosted by M3, where the architects Structure Lab won first prize for the Smart and Sustainable Marina Architecture Competition. The concept is both exciting and innovative, with the ability to create private island offshore and additional berthing/drop-offs for VIP guests to enjoy an exclusive dining club. The images speak for themselves and you can visualise how this Lotus Marina could sit in splendid isolation in the myriad quiet bays found across the coastlines of Croatia, Greece, Turkey and off the Balearics, where beach clubs and restaurants are overcrowded and overpriced due to the demand of yacht guests and shore-based tourists.

The system is built with modularity in mind, to create a mixed-use approach, with floating residences, restaurants or open outdoor event spaces combined with berthing legs to facilitate the desired number of yachts or tenders. It would even make sense as a private regatta base or on-water event hospitality platform for events such as the America’s Cup, where guests can get closer to the action without a flotilla of yachts vying for position.

Sustainability is at the core of the project. The floating structure will be built with recycled materials, including 100 per cent recycled plastic and wood specifically developed for marine environments. Photovoltaic panels and an innovative water-management system that collects and uses rainwater significantly reduce energy and water consumption. Eco-friendly anchoring methods are also employed to enhance the protection of marine ecosystems and the seabed. 

This Lotus Marina could deliver an amazing VIP platform for an exclusive yacht show experience, where yachts could anchor within close proximity around the main hub, with tenders transferring guests to and from the Lotus to the various assets for sale or on display.

If you consider the Bay of Pampelonne, for example, where hundreds of yachts of different shapes and sizes anchor offshore and then ferry their guests to a rickety and precarious jetty in front of the various beach clubs, the Lotus Marina would offer a cooler and more exclusive experience. If you’ve ever sat at Club 55 trying to eat the overpriced gazpacho in a steamy and airless atmosphere, the idea of being offshore, in a cool breeze, away from the crowds in absolute privacy really does appeal. The same would apply for popular hangouts like Formentera and Cala di Volpe, both of which are congested with tourists and VIPs each summer. 

It’s easy to see how the Lotus Marina grabbed the attention of the YCM judges. Let’s hope it grabs the attention of the marina and tourism sector, as this solves many capacity issues across the busy anchorages and delivers an exciting experiential platform that will create an exclusive and unique on-water lifestyle.

Profile links

Yacht Club de Monaco

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.