Patricia Urquiola on Designing the new Owner’s Residence of EXPLORA III
The new, second, Owner’s Residence onboard EXPLORA III is conceived as a private home in constant dialogue with the sea. We spoke with its designer, Patricia Urquiola, about translating intimacy, fluidity, and emotion into a space designed for life on the ocean.
The Owner’s Residences onboard Explora Journeys ships represent the most elevated expression of life at sea—an expansive private sanctuary designed for those who seek the space, privacy, and effortless elegance of a true oceanfront Home at Sea. Nestled in a privileged position with sweeping views of the sea, each Owner’s Residence embodies our vision of luxury ocean travel: refined yet relaxed, sophisticated yet deeply personal. Here, every detail has been thoughtfully curated to create a sense of belonging, allowing Guests to settle into the rhythm of the ocean and experience the freedom of travelling the world from the comfort of their own private retreat. More than a suite, the Owner’s Residence is an invitation to discover an unrivalled way of journeying—where space, serenity, and exceptional service come together in perfect harmony.
What did the idea of an “Owner’s Residence” mean to you in this context?
For me, “residence” immediately suggests belonging. This space was never meant to feel like a suite, but like a true home, one that moves. For me, the ocean is the most alive environment. It moves, it changes, it holds an extraordinary amount of life. Designing at sea is not an extension of domestic interiors but a distinct cultural and spatial condition. Space in ocean travel is intrinsically unstable: horizon, gravity, and orientation are never fixed.
How did the ocean influence your design approach?
A journey at sea is slow - you see the landscape changing hour by hour. I wanted the interiors to reflect that sense of continuous transformation. The geometry is never rigid: everything is slightly inclined, rounded, fluid. The ship almost moves with you. There’s a system of strips that connect spaces, creating sequences instead of separations. You always feel that you’re moving within a continuum - different atmospheres but connected through texture and light.
Materiality is central to your work. What guided your choices?
Touch was essential. At sea, you feel everything more intensely. We selected materials that provide comfort —natural textures, soft finishes, and a palette that feels warm at all times of day.
How did you manage the balance between openness and privacy?
By framing the ocean, not exposing it entirely. The design creates moments of enclosure and release, allowing the sea to enter gently. It’s about choice—connecting with the outside world without being overwhelmed by it.
What does luxury mean to you in this space?
The concept of luxury for me always comes back to quality. And quality is not static, it changes with us, with our lives. If luxury has a meaning, I can only relate it to this: to the idea of time. For me, real luxury is having time - to enjoy it, but also to use it well. Sometimes in layers, moving between many things, sometimes in depth, focusing on one.
That balance is important to me, and I hope that this will be the experience that guests staying here will enjoy; a different relationship with time - slower, more attentive.
