Cantieri di Pisa appoints chief designer

Italian shipyard Cantieri di Pisa has appointed Antonio Luxardo as its new chief designer.

Luxardo will also be in charge of the engineering of all new projects at Cantieri di Pisa, alongside Optima Design, the La Spezia-based firm founded by Luxardo and Michele Zignego in 2004.

The shipyard, founded in 1945 will launch three new yacht ranges in the coming months.

The news comes as Cantieri di Pisa reveals plans to modernise and expand its headquarters in Pisa, Italy. The facilities along the Navicelli Canal will soon occupy an area exceeding 50,000 sqm.

The shipyard has invested €6m over the past two years, and says more will follow to expand and renovate the Cantieri di Pisa headquarters. These works are part of a multi-year plan to relaunch the historic brand, promoted by the new ownership, represented by Enrico Gennasio (who took over the shipyard in 2021) and CEO Marco Massabò.

Luxardo has worked with many major Italian yards, including Amer, Baglietto, Benetti, CRN, Italian Sea Group, Perini Navi and Sanlorenzo. He has also worked on cruise ships and designed tourism and port infrastructure projects.

With Optima Design, which employs a team of 30, Luxardo has worked on over 400 projects, from concept to construction.

“Cantieri di Pisa is a brand that has made history in the Italian yachting industry from the post-war period to the present day, profoundly changing and innovating the sector, therefore our starting point is respecting the brand’s DNA so that the new yachts are immediately recognisable,” says Luxardo.

“The new yacht lines that will soon be launched combine the style features and refined lines of Cantieri di Pisa yachts with the latest design and technology innovations developed by today’s yachting industry.”