Hot Lab
Hot Lab, founded in Milan in 2004 by Antonio Romano and Enrico Lumini, is an award-winning yacht design studio now part of the Viken Group. Their 35m explorer yacht Mereley I (2025) for AES Yacht features a striking blue hull, masculine interiors with 3D-textured surfaces, and will soon be joined by a 40m version.
Architecture for Voyagers
Hot Lab was established in Milan in 2004 by Antonio Romano (business director) and Enrico Lumini (design director) . The studio's philosophy, 'Architecture for Voyagers,' reflects a new approach balancing style and luxury through painstaking formal research and sober, elegant styling . In 2022, Hot Lab became part of the Viken Group, and the studio has received numerous international awards including World Superyacht Awards, ShowBoats Design Awards, and World Yachts Trophies .
Mereley I: The Pocket Explorer
In 2025, Hot Lab revealed details of their 35m custom superyacht Mereley I, built by AES Yacht in Turkey. The studio handled both exterior and interior design, positioning the yacht between a modern explorer and a sportier vessel . The striking blue hull with distinctive red waterline stripes nods to motorsports and speed . The masculine interior features dark, warm greys, blacks, and natural tones with clever use of 3D-textured surfaces that reflect bluish sea hues through large rectangular windows characteristic of explorer yachts .
Features and Future
The yacht's stern beach club, topped by two skylights, includes an integrated multi-functional swimming platform. A spacious skylounge with floor-to-ceiling windows and an airy main saloon complete the layout . Following Mereley I's glowing reception, AES Yacht is now planning a second hull and working with Hot Lab on a 40-metre version from the same line .
