Zuccon International Project designed the SX120

Some yachts are born from a single idea; others emerge from a meeting of worlds. Sanlorenzo’s new SX120 – the 36.6m flagship of the Italian builder’s crossover line – belongs firmly to the latter category, combining the style of a flybridge yacht with the adventurous spirit of an explorer.

Tommaso Vincenzi, Sanlorenzo’s CEO, explains: “The SX line represents a synthesis between the classic motoryacht with a flybridge and [our] explorer range.”

Like other yachts in the SX series, exteriors are from Zuccon International Project and interiors are by Lissoni & Partners. As the biggest SX yacht yet, the SX120 boasts a volume of 270GT, yet the project was about more than simply going larger.

The SX120 is the new flagship of Sanlorenzo’s crossover series

“Sanlorenzo’s ambition was to develop a yacht that transcended mere enlargement of previous designs,” Vincenzi says. “The idea was to create a new flagship that would embody and elevate the core values of the line – combining functionality and aesthetics, simplicity and elegance, performance and sustainability in a forward-thinking yacht.”

The exterior profile itself showcases a combination of styles, blending architectural forms and organic softness.

Bernardo Zuccon, chief architect of Zuccon International Project, says: “The exterior expresses a controlled dynamism – clean, horizontal lines that give the yacht a sense of composure. These combine with sculptural surfaces that bring warmth and identity drawn from organic architecture, where form is shaped as a continuous, harmonious volume.”

When the drop-down sides are lowered, the extensive beach area expands from 40sqm to 70sqm

For the exterior design team, the SX120 project began with a specific request from the shipyard. “Sanlorenzo asked us to take the SX lineage a step further, pushing its founding principles – fluidity, openness and a strong dialogue between indoor and outdoor spaces – to a new scale,” Zuccon says.

“Beyond the natural evolution of the range, the shipyard expressly requested the introduction of new features capable of enriching the onboard experience, with particular attention to the sundeck.”

Zuccon highlights that the SX120’s sundeck has been completely re-imagined to improve the functional liveability of the space.

The sunroof is centred around ‘Smart Island’ modular furniture

This enhanced versatility is underscored by the debut of the ‘Smart Island’, a freely configurable modular seating system designed with Lissoni & Partners and introduced for the first time on an SX yacht.

BEACH CLUB SUPREME

The SX120 preserves the lineage of the SX line, namely stepping up from the SX112, while preserving the DNA of the family with an integrated bow area, seamless connection between decks, and an open stern conceived as a multifunctional terrace on the sea.

Indeed, one of the yacht’s most striking architectural gestures lies aft, where the SX120 pushes the SX concept to new extremes with an expansive 70sqm beach area, which is achieved by expanding the 40sqm platform with opening side terraces.

On the SX120, the series’ iconic aft deck includes a pool, which can be covered by a lift-and-slide sundeck mechanism

The beach area also incorporates a swimming pool, which can be covered or uncovered through a lift-and-slide sundeck mechanism, ensuring aesthetics, usability, privacy and safety during navigation.

On the SX120, use of space was played with inside and out, with the design intentionally shifting volumes forward, allowing for the expansive aft area while maintaining the unusual layout and open-plan interior that’s fundamental to the SX line. “I am particularly fond of the stern area,” Zuccon admits. “It’s a place where the boundary between yacht and sea almost dissolves.”

With the aft bulwarks lowered, the lower-deck lounge offers guests 270-degree views of the sea and surrounds

When the platforms are unfurled, windows are revealed on either side, which allow light to flow into the lower-deck lounge. With the aft doors open, this welcoming lounge becomes the perfect transitional space between the aft deck and up to four guest cabins set forward on the lower deck.

INTERIOR OPTIONS

Inside, Lissoni approached the SX120 as an opportunity to deepen the architectural identity of the SX line while expanding the layout and guest accommodation.

On the main deck, a curved staircase partially separates the aft cockpit and the saloon, shown with extensive seating areas

“The general idea was to have three cabins on the lower deck with the addition of a transformable cabin, and to place the owner’s cabin at the bow of the main deck,” says Piero Lissoni, founder and design principal at Lissoni & Partners.

This layout can be customised to suit the owner’s preference, with the option for a guest cabin to be adapted into a spa area or office, or as an extension of the starboard aft cabin’s dressing room.

The master suite is forward on the main deck

“The flexible ‘jolly’ cabin can transform depending on the intended use, functioning either as a cabin or a lounge,” Lissoni says. “We followed the layout principles of the other SX models that we’ve already designed, while trying to introduce a sculptural staircase that would connect all the decks.”

Achieving that staircase within the yacht’s confines was not an easy feat, say the designers, explaining, “one of the main challenges was integrating a staircase of that type within the limited interior space of a yacht”.

The aft upper deck can be laid out for lounging

Capped by a glass banister on the main deck above, the staircase allows even more light to pour into the lower deck and creates a connection between the lower and upper saloons. Vincenzi explains: “The open-plan design is fundamental to the SX120, redefining the concept of space, liveability and connection with the sea.”

Lissoni’s minimal material palette reinforces a sense of continuity of open spaces, while stainless-steel details provide a contemporary touch.

“For the staircase cladding and some walls, we used a steel-effect film – the same process used for car wrapping,” says Stefano Castelli, Partner at Lissoni & Partners, noting the easy-to-repair material was also chosen for its low maintenance.

Offering wraparound views, the upper deck includes a skylounge set up for formal dining and the yacht’s sole helm station

“Meanwhile, the ceilings and some walls feature ribbed wooden surfaces with a cusp profile, which help elegantly conceal the technical and ventilation components.”

WORLD FIRST

Even below the surface, the SX120 showcases something new, as it’s the first composite superyacht in the world to integrate the new IPS Professional Platform by Volvo Penta.

This system features two 1,000hp engines per pod, providing the performance of larger engines with a smaller footprint. Its compactness allows for a substantial reduction in engine-room volume, freeing up valuable space for owners, guests and crew.

On the SX120, the Volvo Penta IPS Professional Platform features two 1,000hp engines per pod

Efficiency and handling are also improved through steerable units and optimised counter-rotating propellers, with added sustainability benefits via the Eco Mode function and a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust-gas treatment service.

When two worlds meet, something new can emerge. In the SX120, that “something new” is a yacht that advances the crossover idea to its most mature expression yet – where architecture and engineering, form and function, and classic and explorer converge into a vessel that feels unmistakably Sanlorenzo while charting a new course for the builder.

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