Formerly known as Project Cosmos, the Lürssen yacht has now departed on her maiden voyage after years of closely watched construction and sea trials.
Designed entirely by Australian industrial designer Marc Newson, Nausicaä carries both interior and exterior styling from the same hand, an unusual approach at this scale. The project remained remarkably faithful to the original digital concept developed six years earlier, with Lürssen noting that the delivered yacht stayed unchanged from the initial design vision.
A Marc Newson Design Brought Fully to Life
Nausicaä stands apart from recent Lürssen deliveries through her softer, almost sculptural profile. Rounded forms, flowing surfaces, curved glazing, and louvred detailing replace the sharper architectural language often seen on large custom yachts. Flat planes are largely absent, creating a silhouette that feels closer to industrial design than conventional yacht styling.
The design language extends throughout the yacht. Curved forms frame the aft decks, entrance zones, exterior doors, and even technical elements such as the exhaust mast. Forward, a dramatic glass observation lounge spans approximately 19 metres beneath the certified bow helipad, enclosed within sweeping glazing that gives the impression of a floating pod suspended above the water.
[Nausicaä] has not changed one iota from the digital representation of the design drawn six years ago."
Lürssen
A continuous glass band wraps around the upper deck, visually merging windows, bulwarks, doors, and technical spaces into a single uninterrupted ribbon. According to Lürssen, this approach continues the yard’s long history of large-scale glass engineering seen on projects including Rising Sun and Kismet.
Skydome, Art Gallery Interior and Explorer Capability
One of Nausicaä’s defining features is her glass Skydome positioned high within the superstructure. Formed from seven hot-bent glass panes, each weighing around 1,050kg, the structure creates a 56sqm owner’s study with 3.15m headroom and direct access to a private terrace. Extensive prototype testing and full-scale mock-ups were required before production began.
Inside, with an impressive gross tonnage of 6,300 GT, Nausicaä moves away from traditional superyacht layouts. Instead of a conventional main salon, the yacht opens into a double-height atrium designed as an art gallery, with sculptural installations and bespoke works arranged across the main deck. Above, a circular gallery overlooks the space, while the upper aft deck introduces more relaxed areas including a sushi bar, integrated seating, and entertainment zones.
The motor yacht also carries strong explorer credentials. Built to Ice Class 1D standards, Nausicaä has been engineered for operation in light ice conditions and long-range cruising across remote destinations. Lürssen previously noted that the specification opens possibilities for travel across all major oceans and all seven continents.
Fuel Cells and Hidden Technical Solutions
Aft, the full-beam leisure deck spans 18 metres and centres around a swimming pool and Jacuzzi arrangement. Below sits one of the yacht’s most unusual technical solutions - a dedicated dry dock for a 12.5m sportsfish tender.
The system uses a concealed sledge mechanism with lifting capacity up to 16 tonnes. Once the tender launches, the track system retracts entirely, transforming the space into a protected teak-lined guest terrace free from visible equipment.
Power comes from a five-engine diesel-electric arrangement driving fully electric Azimuth pods, supported by battery systems delivering up to 2MW. At the owner’s request, Lürssen also installed two 500kW methanol fuel cells capable of producing electricity by converting methanol into hydrogen. The system enables extended low-emission operation and limited silent cruising capability.
With an estimated internal volume exceeding 6,300GT, Nausicaä is expected to enter the YachtBuyer YB100 ranking, which measures the world’s largest yachts by gross tonnage rather than length alone.
Lürssen’s Construction Pipeline Remains Active
According to YachtBuyer MarketWatch, the largest yacht database in the world, Lürssen currently has 9 yachts either in build or on order, underlining continued activity in the ultra-large custom sector.
Nausicaä joins a busy delivery period for the German builder. Earlier this year came the handover of the 117m superyacht Boardwalk, a six-deck project with dual helipads, layered pool terraces, and an owner-led design brief shaped around long-range cruising. Designed by Frank Woll with interiors from Amy Halffman, the yacht introduced a more structured design language compared with Nausicaä’s softer forms.
The yard also completed delivery of the 134.2m MY Deep Blue earlier in 2026. At around 9,000GT, she ranks among the most voluminous yachts completed in recent years and currently sits within the YachtBuyer YB100. Her Winch Design styling introduced cascading aft pool terraces and an unusual white-hull, blue-superstructure color arrangement.
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Attention now turns to two major projects expected later this year. The 110m expedition yacht O3 features an explorer-focused platform with an X-Bow profile, helipad, extensive tender storage, and approximately 6,300GT of volume, while the 102.4m Nixie brings RWD styling, accommodation for 20 guests across 10 suites, and a 3,420GT platform as she approaches delivery.
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