MYD24, Paola Lenti awards MY AISEE: outdoor spaces become onboard architecture

Milan – Outdoor spaces as a true architectural device, rather than a simple scenic backdrop, was the theme guiding the 24th edition of the Master in Yacht Design at Politecnico di Milano, which concluded with the victory of the MY AISEE project in the “Outdoor Living on Superyacht” contest promoted in collaboration with Paola Lenti. The outcome confirmed how the design of open areas onboard has become one of the most advanced fields of research in the superyacht sector.

At the heart of the competition was a clear design brief: outdoor spaces represent the sensitive connection between interior and exterior, an increasingly fluid threshold to be designed as a genuine extension of living spaces, in relationship and harmony with the surrounding environment. The students’ challenge was therefore to conceive functional areas that would not simply be “open-air zones”, but fully habitable environments capable of engaging with both the landscape and the yacht’s architecture. Particular attention was given to the Sundeck and Maindeck areas, where the presence of nature onboard was imagined, integrated and enhanced through greenery, light, materials and furnishings.

The results were interpreted through two main perspectives. The first concerned the integrated connection between interior and exterior: the jury assessed functionality and stylistic coherence between interior layouts and exterior spaces, with particular attention to the role of Paola Lenti’s collections and the ability to imagine custom solutions capable of building a unified narrative of the yacht, from the main salon to the forward sunbathing areas. The second perspective focused on innovation in outdoor areas: preference was given to solutions capable of combining aesthetics, functionality and technology, with furniture concepts and layouts expressing comfort, entertainment and usability of open spaces, with a specific focus on forward areas, increasingly central in market trends.

The jury report described an intense working session held online on 26 February 2026, involving a panel bringing together designers, brand representatives and professionals from the nautical communication sector. After an initial round of individual assessments of the materials submitted by the students, the collective discussion quickly produced a shortlist of three projects: MY AISEE, MY NOMADE and MY VENUS. Of the six concepts developed by the Master’s students, only four were admitted to the final evaluation – the three mentioned plus MY ANDROMA – while MY CYGNUS and MY ALMA were excluded due to irregularities in submission, confirming how adherence to deadlines and rules was considered an integral part of the educational process.

The jury was chaired by Espen Øino, one of the most authoritative names in international yacht design. Working alongside him was a panel designed to represent the entire industry chain, from the brand to academia, communication and model production: Kicco Bestetti and Paola Lenti for the company, Antonio Vettese for The Boat Show and Yacht Design, Andrea Ratti and Arianna Bionda for Politecnico di Milano, Michela Reverberi, interior yacht design expert and lecturer, and Giuseppe Capobianco for Model Maker Group.

From the earliest discussions, MY AISEE emerged as the most complete project, both in terms of presentation and design coherence. In the official motivation, the commission highlighted the quality of the integration of Paola Lenti furnishings, inserted “with balance, restraint and coherence” within the yacht’s overall vision: not a simple product placement, but a genuine strategy for enhancing outdoor spaces, where the furniture elements became an active component in defining functions, circulation and spatial hierarchies. The colour palette, the conscious use of materials and textures, and the dialogue between interior and exterior created a perceptual continuity perfectly aligned with the brand’s research on colour, sustainability and comfort.

For Paola Lenti, the contest represented an advanced laboratory in which to test languages and solutions beyond the boundaries of the product itself. The brand, which for years has brought to the nautical sector a vision of outdoor living based on sophisticated colour palettes, recyclable technical fabrics and materials designed for durability, with strong attention to environmental responsibility, was able to verify how its collections could become true design tools capable of redefining the experience of living in contact with the sea onboard a superyacht.

Alongside the winner, the jury awarded a special mention to the MY NOMADE project, which ranked second. The team interpreted the brand’s values with clarity, working on modularity, formal simplicity and flexible configurations of outdoor spaces. Particularly appreciated was the ability to generate reconfigurable outdoor layouts consistent with Paola Lenti’s design language and aligned with trends that see open decks as hybrid spaces for relaxation, social interaction and work, reflecting the expectations of new generations of yacht owners who are increasingly attentive to the customization of decks and beach clubs.

The “Outdoor Living on Superyacht” contest confirmed the role of the Master in Yacht Design as a platform for dialogue between academia and the yachting industry. Students worked with briefs and timelines similar to those of professional design studios, while brand partners had the opportunity to reinterpret their DNA through the perspective of younger generations. The final ranking – 1st MY AISEE, 2nd MY NOMADE, 3rd MY VENUS, 4th MY ANDROMA – therefore marked not only the conclusion of a competition, but also the starting point for ideas and talents that will likely appear in the shipyards and design studios shaping the future of superyacht design.

On the occasion of the announcement of the winning project, the collaboration between Paola Lenti and Model Maker Group also materialised in a special event open to the nautical design community: “Beyond the Horizon – Shaping a New Vision of Elegance at Sea”, held on 4 March 2026 at the Paola Lenti showroom in Via Giovanni Bovio 28, Milan. Organised in partnership with Politecnico di Milano, POLI.design and Yacht City, and with the media partnership of Yacht Design and The Boat Show, the evening provided an opportunity to explore research themes related to outdoor living onboard and present the work of the Master in Yacht Design students, reinforcing MMG’s role as a key interlocutor between design and industry.

Filippo Ceragioli

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