Design and a maritime identity

The Ciudad de Valencia is an innovative passenger and vehicle ferry and a masterpiece of engineering and design. Built in Italy’s largest private shipyard, the Cantieri Navali Visentin, it was specially designed to sail Mediterranean sea routes. The interiors form a sequence of large, bright and spectacular spaces that display the utmost attention to detail, comfort and innovation. Paolo Ancora, an architect with many years of experience in the shipbuilding industry, wanted to give a distinctive touch to the interior design project by focusing on elegance, services and comfort while sailing.
The Ciudad de Valencia also makes extensive use of the large-format Kerlite surfaces from Cotto d’Este, which have proved ideal for the naval sector thanks to their very low thickness and limited weight coupled with excellent technical and aesthetic quality. The architect «chose Kerlite in no small part due to its weight and thickness, as it is an extremely light material that can significantly reduce the ship’s accidental load and thus optimise its seaworthiness and speed while reducing fuel consumption», he explained.
The interiors of the ferry also pay tribute to the city of Venice, its style and its maritime identity. In the central lounge, a long panel reproducing the Venetian lagoon captures the gaze in an astonishing trompe-l’oeil effect that is further reflected and amplified by the mirrors and glass. The architect found a powerful creative ally in the 3.5 mm thick Kerlite Art Wonderwall collection, choosing the stunning Venice version available directly from the catalogue. This image of the Venetian lagoon with Venice in the background is printed in very high definition on large 100×300 cm panels that are as thin and light as wallpaper while being extremely durable and waterproof. Kerlite5plus Exedra Rain Grey panels in a 5.5 mm thickness and colours from green to grey were also installed on the pillars in these spaces, creating a cool vibe within the warm coloured surroundings.
The chosen collections also include Kerlite 6plus Woodland, a wood-look surface with a thickness of 6.5 mm; Kerlite 5plus Cement Project, an intriguing 5.5 mm thick concrete-effect surface that stands out for its astonishingly authentic aesthetic and tactile appeal; the Kerlite5plus Exedra collection, which reproduces a splendid limestone from Asia Minor (Limestone Antalya, distinguished by the quality of its finishes and attention to detail); and finally the most prestigious marbles from the Kerlite5plus Exedra collection.
The porcelain slabs used in the bathrooms and on the bar counter also deliver high antibacterial performance thanks to the exclusive Protect® technology.
The interiors of this vessel stand out for their all-round technical and aesthetic design based on a choice of materials with a strong personality and distinctive veins, colours and textures, fulfilling the designers’ aim of ensuring a healthy, pleasant and comfortable journey for all passengers.