Air Force One has nothing on Skyacht One. SottoStudios took an Embrarer Lineage 1000E jet and transformed it into an $83 million superyacht for the sky and we’re in love. Starting with an exterior boasting a “hand-painted ‘trompe l'oeil’ mahogany ‘hull’ and towering vertical stabilizer, this plane features tons of design elements that one usually sees on luxury sailing vessels—including its polished underbelly that evokes wood planks. Unlike other luxury aircrafts, this design manages to strike the perfect balance between opulence and whimsy, resulting in a work of art that will even please your inner child.
Skyacht One is about as cool as it gets when it comes to air travel, boasting a navigation theme that features tons of neat details, like astrolabes, armillary spheres, charts and marquetry clocks. You’ll find Piero Fornasetti's gold plated "Astrolabio" China in the dining room, Fornasetti rugs adorning the floor and custom hardware that contrasts perfectly with embossed leather furniture.
“We think that since you spend so much time in your seat that the ‘close up’ experience should be unsurpassed,” explains SottoStudios. “We revisited things you touch and made them intuitive, beautiful and classically textural with bejeweled controls from engraved brass, gold, silver and platinum. When you reach out in the dark to turn a light on, there is still nothing better than the feeling of a fine knob or lever. From the brass inlaid window bezels, each with mahogany surround and paneling, to the adjustable vintage-styled leather sunshades…”
A chartroom, galley and conference room can all be found near the nose, while the main cabin and master suite are in the aft. The roomy main cabin boasts a Chesterfield sofa, cocktail bar, windows designed to emulate port holes and tons of inlaid brass and wood accents. The entire aircraft has adjustable lighting with various color options, while the master suite is lined with padded suede and Macassar walls. The master bath even looks pretty enough to be in a luxury spa, with a neat throttle-inspired faucet, teak and mahogany walls, Malachite counters and vintage Fornasetti accessories.
SottoStudios was started by designer Eddie Sotto in 2004 with the intent to shake things up in experimental design and they’ve certainly done just that. In case you were wondering where the whimsy comes from, Sotto’s expansive portfolio includes the time he was Senior Vice President of Concept Design at Disney's Imagineering division, where he worked on $500M in projects ranging from attractions and retail to restaurants and web technology.
If you love what you see, but maybe want it in a different aircraft, that’s fine. SottoStudios has no problem adapting the design for whatever vessel you want to refit.
