Press Release
Gondola Electric Hydrofoil by Wang Yuchen and Wang Xuanzheng Is Granted the A' Design Award in Yacht and Marine Vessels Design
Wang Yuchen and Wang Xuanzheng honored for yacht and marine vessels design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Gondola Electric Hydrofoil by Wang Yuchen and Wang Xuanzheng, designed for Central Academy of Fine Arts-Mobility Innovation (Transportation) Design, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Yacht and Marine Vessels Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The A' Design Award Explained
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Gondola Electric Hydrofoil
Gondola is an electric hydrofoil boat designed for water tourism. The design combines the form of the traditional Venetian gondola with the dynamics of a modern hydrofoil. The hull is 13450 mm long and 2820 mm wide and carries four passengers. Aluminium with a platinum-coloured metallic finish forms the hull, while the hydrofoils and support structures use carbon fibre and other composite materials. The canopy is made of canvas mixed with metallic filaments, and the luggage deck is made of teak. The electric motor allows quiet travel at high speed or slow cruising.
About Wang Yuchen and Wang Xuanzheng
Wang Yuchen is a researcher and practitioner in the field of transportation design, mainly focusing on transportation and industrial design. He has participated in multiple design projects and international exhibitions. Based on the platform of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, he has made practical and theoretical contributions in the fields of ship design, intelligent car cockpit design, and intelligent product design from a unique perspective. In the future, he will continue to promote the combination of research and practice, interdisciplinary creative methods, and contribute his own strength to the field of industrial design.
Award Record
With this recognition, Wang Yuchen and Wang Xuanzheng is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Yacht and Marine Vessels Design Award
The A' Yacht Design Award is an international yacht design competition recognizing good yacht designs by leading yacht designers and manufacturers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to yacht designers, naval engineers, marine vessel producers and yacht manufacturers from all countries. Entries typically include sailboats, motor yachts, catamarans, trimarans, superyachts and explorer yachts. Awarded yacht designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/yacht
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/163651
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/163651
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!163651
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/356888
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Gondola Electric Hydrofoil
- Function
- Electric Hydrofoil
- Category
- Yacht and Marine Vessels Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Automotive and Luxury
- Colors
- Steel Blue, Cornflower Blue, Slate Gray, Dark Gray and Light Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Central Academy of Fine Arts-Mobility Innovation (Transportation) Design
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Wang Yuchen and Wang Xuanzheng
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #163651
Credits
- Team
- Wang Yuchen, Wang Xuanzheng, Wang Shutong and Ye Feng
- Image Credits
- Creator Yuchen Wang, Gondola, 2024.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Combining the elegance of a gondola with the dynamism of a hydrofoil, it blends traditional culture with modern aesthetics to create a new water sports experience. And it echoes the long history of Venice's culture. At the same time, this is an electric boat, quiet, elegant and environmentally friendly. It can accommodate 4 passengers.
- Inspiration
- The design draws inspiration from the traditional Venetian boat, the gondola. In terms of structural design, the classical Italian design culture plays an important role. The curved moon-like lines of the gondola, especially the detailing on the six-toothed battle-axe halberd at the bow, were a major source of inspiration. This cultural influence is evident throughout the project.
- Research
- Taking inspiration from Venice's elegant and luxurious gondolas, combining traditional culture with modern aesthetics, a new hydrofoil has been designed to create a new water tourism experience based on Venetian culture for Venice as well as other waterfront regions. The research project has not only resulted in the design of a hydrofoil, but has also explored a new research path for tourism experiences in other culturally diverse regions.
- Challenge
- I strolled along the riverbanks of Venice and saw gondolas and luxury yachts, which sparked my passion and inspiration for design. How to perfectly incorporate the gondola design elements into the hydrofoil design posed a challenge to me. It required a lot of sketches and modeling to ensure the traditional aesthetics of elegance and luxury, but also the futuristic aesthetics of modern technology. There were also challenges of cultural differences from different countries, and I needed to study the relevant materials in greater depth.
- Realization and Technology
- The boat's hull is made of aluminum with a platinum-colored metallic paint finish that echoes the glossy metal used throughout, providing a good sense of texture. The hydrofoils and hull support structures have versatile attributes and are made of stronger carbon fiber and other composite materials that add to the boat's sporty feel. The canvas soft top of the canopy is made of a high-grade fabric mixed with metallic filaments. Meanwhile, the luggage compartment deck is made of high-grade teak, adding to the boat's luxurious feel.
- Operation and Interaction
- The boat is equipped with hydrofoils that can be rotated and propellers that can be raised and lowered, as well as an electric motor for high maneuverability. At the same time, the boat is capable of switching between high-speed movement and leisurely cruising, ensuring that it meets the needs of users in different situations and enhances the traveling experience.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project launched in Qingdao, China in August 2023, and the preliminary model of the project was presented at Milan Design Week in April 2024, and reached its final stages by June 2024.
- Specifications
- Hull length 13450 mm, width 2820 mm, normal draft 2300 mm, draft with hydrofoils up 1200 mm. Maximum rotation angle of hydrofoil 70 degrees. Accommodates 4 passengers.
- Keywords
- Gondola, Hydrofoil, Yacht Design, Venice Tourism, Zero Emissions
