Bernardo and Martina, the driving force behind the Zuccon International Project studio, are two sides of the same coin. Their success is based on expertise, passion, collaboration and harmony
by Chiara Risolo – photo by Andrea Muscatello
The body speaks. During the one-hour, seventeen-minute, forty-five-second interview, despite sitting next to each other on the same side of the desk, they never once looked at each other. Brothers at odds? Not at all! The truth is that they don’t need to exchange glances for approval or disapproval to know how to respond. They trust each other implicitly. He, a neat freak, is sitting in an armchair that seems to be propped up on the floor. His back is straight, and as he talks, he moves his head back and forth in a loop, slightly bowed, as if searching for something, a missing piece (he will admit during the conversation that he is, in a way). She, on the other hand, is more “dishevelled”, asymmetrical, leaning slightly towards him, in “mother mode”. In other words, she protects him without giving the impression of protecting him. And she smiles. Always.
«We are ‘functionalists’ by profession, but also somewhat bohemian. Certainly human and humanist. After all, art is everywhere, and we want to become architects of our lives». Bernardo Zuccon
Who are they? Bernardo and Martina, helmsmen of the Zuccon International Project studio, founded in Rome in 1972 by their parents, Paola Galeazzi and Gianni Zuccon. Barche met them to talk about… not just boating, it seems. Or rather, not in the way one might expect from people who have spent their entire lives designing luxury boats. It’s not because there are no drawings of bows, sterns and so on on the table. It’s more because Bernardo, Martina and the whole team are experiencing a second artistic youth, driven by an emotional urgency that has little to do with capital increases, numbers and earnings in the strict sense. They want to improve as individuals and “become architects of their own lives”, they say, by taking on new professional challenges. It is not a craving for greatness, but a desire for depth. They want to go ‘elsewhere’, to break through with beauty the wall of a certain rhetoric that, in the long run, dulls everyday life and lowers the decibel level of the soul.
Sanlorenzo SD132
«About the Sanlorenzo SD132, flagship of the semi-displacement line, we have taken care, and are very proud, both of the exterior lines and interior décor».
Bernardo, what’s going on? Martina and I are actually old, despite being young. We’ve been doing this job all along, and although yachting is fascinating, we felt the need to broaden our horizons. Clearly, everyone who works with us is involved at this stage. Some time ago, I wrote down a phrase that struck me deeply. I think it’s by Thomas Hood: “When did a single bee ever make honey in a hive?”
Sanlorenzo SX120
«The Sanlorenzo SX120 is a design that embodies the evolutionary path the SX range has taken in recent years. A path that, with the SX88, SX76, SX112, and then the SX100, has unequivocally demonstrated the concept’s ability to unfold into different dimensions. An evolution that has not limited itself to recalibrating the proportions of a basic design, but has led to the creation of boats with their own identities, equipped with features and design solutions that justify the positioning of each model within the range». Bernardo Zuccon
«We have been appointed as art directors for an intriguing real estate project in Miami. We are collaborating with a company that specialises in property development». Martina Zuccon
Sanlorenzo SL110A
The Sanlorenzo SL110A, another expression of the Asimmetrica line, is a project realised in collaboration with Piero Lissoni.
The Oblò handle by Razeto e Casareto is the result of a collaboration with Zuccon International Project, which developed its shape.
Wait a minute… The last time I interviewed you, in 2023, you mentioned a project that you and Martina were working on: building the world’s smallest superyacht. If I’m remembering correctly, you were discussing it as if it were its own thing, not part of the studio’s main project. Martina: Let me answer that. The project is still ongoing; we have developed it and even obtained construction estimates, but we have temporarily halted work on it.
Why? The costs are high, and, as Bernardo mentioned earlier, we have decided to invest in something new and truly beneficial for the Zuccon International Project and the growth of the entire team, without exception. That said, the ‘little superyacht’ itself will likely become the focus of this new course.
By which you mean? Let’s get to the heart of the matter. Bernardo: We will make an official announcement shortly, but I can tell you that the studio has given birth to a new offshoot – In this case, the new Zuccon International Project branch will be called hubZeta, and the leading project is a semi-transparent roller shutter hatchway created in collaboration with Parema. The new company will deal with projects linked to the sea. It will also address components, and one of our long-standing collaborators will lead this initiative. From an operational perspective, we will take a step back. We were inspired by a straightforward slogan we read at the last Boot in Düsseldorf: “We love water”.
Villa 375 South, Hibiscus Island, Miami
Let’s get back to the point. Please… Bernardo: We’re talking about smaller boats, and now I fall silent. However, regarding the components, the hatchway’s project will be unveil at the Mets trade fair in Amsterdam in November – it’s an event we’ve always attended as mere onlookers. This is therefore something entirely new for us.
You with Sanlorenzo and Bluegame have been collaborating for some time establishing a partnership that has led to the creation of wonderful yachts. What awaits us at the boat shows this September? As is traditional for this shipyard, we have some important boats. Indeed, the SD132, flagship of the semi-displacement line, of which we have taken care and are very proud, both of its exterior lines and interior decor. You will also see the SL110A, another example of the Asimmetrica line, created in collaboration with Piero Lissoni. Then there is the SX120, a yacht that continues the successful legacy of the SX line, which began with the 88. Bluegame will be presenting its new multihull, the BGF45, which is equipped with foils.
Bluegame BGF 45
Zuccon International Project has leveraged its multidisciplinary expertise as a key strength. Whether designing a house, a boat, an office, or a yacht, the fundamental principles remain the same.
Good. Any other news? Martina: We have been appointed as art directors for an intriguing real estate project in Miami. We are collaborating with a company that specialises in property development, specifically building spec homes, Imago development. We are having a lot of fun, although I won’t deny that the risk is high. But we are happy to take it. The first villa, for which the interior design was developed in collaboration with Baxter Italia, is expected to be ready by the end of the year.
What’s more? Bernardo: At the Monaco Yacht Show, we will be presenting two partnerships with long-standing Italian suppliers who are experts in interior design. In collaboration with a talented Florentine artist, we have designed a decorative leather panel for the first company, and we are working on several projects with the second company. We will be presenting a ‘smart’ object for boats that can be used as both a seat and a table. It’s very intriguing indeed. Secondly, we will be announcing an unprecedented journey around the world in five chapters – or rather, five continents. We will be breathing new life into design objects by reviving the languages of folk art.
I suppose you can’t name names. Martina: Not for the moment.
The Azteca project, a refined wooden cladding that expresses a new way of interpreting the dialogue between art and design, was realised for Cadorin. Through a skilful balance of geometric shapes, optical illusions, and references to the decorative traditions of ancient civilisations, Azteca becomes a bridge between the past and the present, transforming cladding into an actual visual and sensory experience.
In 2004, Bernardo and Martina Zuccon officially joined the firm, gradually taking over its complete management.
I thought so. Barche will treasure these previews and is looking forward to learning more. In conclusion, it’s fair to say that the horizons mentioned above have been significantly broadened. You are grappling with the 15th century in a modern key: a sort of Renaissance created by Zuccon International Project. Bernardo: We are ‘functionalists’ by profession, but also somewhat bohemian. Certainly human and humanist. After all, art is everywhere, and we want to become architects of our lives.
Ambitious mission. Does being brothers help or complicate? It helps, it helps. We have succeeded in dispelling the legend that work and family must proceed on different tracks. At the basis of everything must be trust. It is the alpha and omega of a career path, whatever it may be. Bernardo and I trust each other unquestioningly.
The new headquarters of Zuccon International Project is located on Via della Camilluccia in Rome.
If I’m not mistaken, the family has grown. Benedetta, Bernardo’s girlfriend, has been working with you in the office since January. That’s right. She works in marketing and communications. She has a degree in psychology, which is always an advantage (smiles). She gets on really well with Martina.
Watch out! Two women like that together are an unstoppable force. In such an unstable world, plagued by tragedy, it is more important than ever to create an ecosystem that provides security and tranquillity and reduces stress levels – a kind of existential bunker.
What a wonderful declaration of love!
(Bernardo and Martina Zuccon – Architects of their own lives – Excerpted from Barche, September 2025)
