The grand 316-metre Mein Schiff 7 had set sail, with a stunning modern interior designed by Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS), which is part of the Viken Group. This extravagant cruise ship is TUI’s newest addition. It is methanol-ready and almost carbon-neutral – highlighting how they focus on sustainability efforts to the best of their ability without compromising on the comforts of luxury.
Not only is the ship environmentally friendly, but it is, of course, a sight to behold. The ship features a marvellous glass diamond at aft, where the spacious Große Freiheit can be found – a two-deck atrium named after the famous music street in Hamburg. TDoS transformed this large atrium into an Italian piazza, a vibrant space of community.
“The piazza floor is made of a ceramic mosaic,” said Malvina Guarnieri, Design Director of Tillberg Design of Sweden. “We provided the design and the arrangement of the tiles in the different colours. In combination with the aft glazing, the idea was to enter a piazza, and imagine a restaurant which had, even if all indoor, an outdoor feeling in the design elements.”
The piazza really does give off the feel of the outdoors – even though it is completely indoors. The design team placed convincing decorations and props to strengthen the effect – including a parked golden Vespa scooter and outdoor armchairs. The La Spezia restaurant exudes an Italian vibe, making sure guests feel as if they have been transported to Italy themselves.
Another fascinating aspect is that near the all-Italian La Spezia is a Japanese-Asian restaurant, Hideki. The West and the East, two different sides of the globe, come together to showcase their dining options to the guests. TDoS went all out with the design of Hideki as well, making it all-Asian and highlighting the stark difference (and specialities) between the two regions. The restaurant’s design embodies the essence of Asian dining, and features a blend of traditional elements such as traditional wooden beams, rice-paper lanterns, and an organically patterned carpet.
“We wanted to create different seating groups and seating arrangements, to provide passengers with different types of dining experiences, from the private room to the fixed banquette with the wooden pergola above it for privacy,” explained Guarnieri.
The ship is designed to carry nearly 2900 passengers. With this whopping amount, it only makes sense that the dining options are diverse to cater to every single palate.
“What we like about our designs is that the different areas have an individual personality, but at the same time they flow very nicely – one into another,” said Guarnieri. “We believe that the sense of ‘flow’ is a key part of the experience, and you really get that feeling walking on board. The designs are welcoming, with engaging architectural elements and nice variety, without being ‘loud’.”
The Mein Schiff 7 also possesses a new element that had not been available in any previous TUI ships, which are the single staterooms. Due to a growing demand from solo travellers, the ship had decided to include a total of 26 single staterooms on the fourth deck, each sized at 8 square metres. TDoS was also in charge of designing these cabins, and the interior design of all cabins on the ship remained uniform. Featuring soothing blue upholstery, white-stained oak cabinets, and sand wave-patterned carpets, not only are these design elements visually pleasing, but TDoS also made the effort to ensure it was created as sustainably as possible.
“We took into account the environmental properties of each material, thinking about everything – from sourcing locally to emissions,” said Guarnieri. “On the carpet for example, we specified the Dansk Wilton Origin collection, which uses undyed wool. The design intent for the materials selection was both for the standard staterooms and for the single staterooms.”
Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS) is part of the Viken Group, along with Hot Lab and Thalia Marine. This allows for the exchange of ideas and expertise between cruise ship and yacht design, with years of experience and knowledge from each side. This is the key to the design powerhouse, combining ideas and techniques to push the boundaries of innovation.