VIRTUAL ISTANBUL HERITAGE(S)

Abstract

Interior yacht design constitutes a complex and interdisciplinary field, situated at the intersection of interior architecture, material culture, the history of habitation, and nautical heritage. Despite its growing cultural and economic significance, it remains marginal within academic debates on heritage. This research aims to address this gap by proposing a critical reading of interior yacht design as a form of cultural heritage, analyzing its identity, historical, and project-related values.
The research is grounded in the hypothesis that yacht interiors represent stratified spatial systems, where artisanal knowledge, technological innovation, design languages, and symbolic constructions related to the human relationship with the sea are interwoven. From this perspective, the yacht can be interpreted as a mobile cultural place, characterized by a strongly recognizable project identity while simultaneously vulnerable to transformations that may compromise its historical continuity. The study distinguishes between tangible heritage – including materials, spatial layouts, construction techniques, decorative elements, and design details – and intangible heritage, understood as the set of cultural values, narrative identities, habitation rituals, and perceptual and emotional dimensions inherent to nautical spaces. Based on this distinction, the research proposes to expand the concept of heritage beyond traditional urban boundaries, encompassing mobile and temporary design contexts such as yachts. Furthermore, the research emphasizes the need to develop specific theoretical and methodological criteria for the identification, documentation, and conservation of yacht interiors as cultural heritage, contributing to a broader reflection on the role of design as a vehicle for identity, memory, and cultural continuity in non-conventional contexts.