Bannenberg & Rowell

• Founder: Jon Bannenberg (studio from the early 1960s)
• Current leaders: Dickie Bannenberg and Simon Rowell
• Rebranded: Bannenberg & Rowell in 2003
• Based: Fulham, London
• Disciplines: exterior and interior design, new builds and refits
• Signature yachts: Valor (79.5m), Renaissance (112m), Avantage (87m)
• Heritage: Jon Bannenberg, called the father of modern yacht design

Heir to the father of the modern yacht

Jon Bannenberg founded the studio in the early 1960s and reshaped how yachts were designed over the following decades. He is widely credited as the father of the modern superyacht, and his influence runs through much of the industry. His son Dickie Bannenberg and the designer Simon Rowell now lead the practice. The two worked alongside Jon for many years before taking the helm. Dickie Bannenberg spent close to two decades working alongside his father before he led the firm.

The studio was rebranded Bannenberg & Rowell in 2003, the year after Jon Bannenberg died. It is based in Fulham in London and works on both yachts and land-based projects. Since the rebrand it has delivered around forty yacht projects across new builds and refits. The founder's legacy remains a living part of the studio's identity. The current team treats that heritage as a responsibility to build on rather than a trophy to trade on.

Creative and approachable

The studio describes its work as creative, contemporary and approachable, and it resists a single fixed house style. It designs both interiors and exteriors and enjoys giving each yacht a distinct character. The work often has a sense of wit and colour that sets it apart from more serious rivals. That openness reflects the spirit its founder was known for. Jon Bannenberg broke the rules of his day, and the studio still resists settling into a single formula.

The office is as comfortable with a bold refit as with a new build from scratch. It treats each brief on its own terms rather than imposing a template. This flexibility has produced a varied and lively portfolio. The studio prizes ideas over formula. A bold refit can be as inventive as a new build in the studio's hands.

Jon Bannenberg's revolution, carried forward with wit and colour.

A varied portfolio

The studio's built work includes the 79.5 metre Feadship Valor and the 112 metre Renaissance from the Freire yard. The 87 metre Lurssen Avantage and the 60 metre Abeking and Rasmussen yacht Elysian, previously Elandess, sit alongside them. Smaller Heesen and Feadship yachts round out a broad range of sizes. The variety of yards and sizes is striking. Working across so many different builders is the mark of a studio trusted widely rather than tied to one yard.

The founder's own landmark yachts, such as the much-discussed Nabila of 1980, remain reference points in the history of the field. The current studio builds on that heritage with its own run of new work. Its refits have given fresh life to a number of older yachts. The portfolio reads as inventive rather than repetitive. The studio would rather surprise an owner than repeat itself from one project to the next.

Owners, yards and refits

Bannenberg & Rowell works with a wide set of yards across the Netherlands, Germany and beyond. Its readiness to take on refits as well as new builds broadens the kind of owner it serves. The studio engages owners in a relaxed and collaborative way. That approachable manner is part of its draw. Owners describe the studio as easy and enjoyable to work with, which matters over a build that runs for years.

The office keeps a hands-on role from concept through delivery on both new builds and refits. Its designers protect the character of a scheme through the long process of construction. The studio's breadth means it can adapt to very different briefs. This versatility keeps its order book varied. Taking on both new builds and refits widens the range of owners the studio can serve.

Carrying a legacy forward

The studio holds a special place as the direct descendant of Jon Bannenberg's revolutionary practice. That lineage gives it authority few others can claim. Under Dickie Bannenberg and Simon Rowell it has built its own reputation rather than trading on the past. The balance of heritage and fresh work is its strength. Trading only on the past would have been the easy path, and the studio has clearly chosen not to.

The office continues to deliver new builds and refits at a steady pace. Its creative, approachable style has kept it relevant across two generations. The Bannenberg name still carries weight throughout the industry. The studio remains a distinctive voice in yacht design. Two generations on, the Bannenberg name still stands for doing things a little differently.

Who it is for: Owners who want inventive, characterful design with a sense of wit, on a new build or a refit.