“For us, it's what's inside that counts.”

At first glance, Messner Ges.m.b.H.'s production facility looks like an ordinary large carpentry workshop: the high-ceilinged hall is filled with the smell of wood and the sound of sawing and sanding machines, while employees in blue sweaters work with panels that are being cut to size or glued together. However, a second glance at the company's website reveals that this is no ordinary business. In addition to exclusive hotel and villa projects, the Austrian family business focuses primarily on shipbuilding, or more precisely, on the interior design of private and luxury yachts. This is an area that the company actually “slid into” by chance, as managing director Johannes Messner explains: "After founding the company in 1952, my father specialized in commercial and hotel projects. At the end of the 1980s, a long-standing customer was planning a yacht project and brought us on board. Since then, we have continued to expand our expertise in the shipbuilding sector and now carry out numerous large-scale projects in the premium segment." As a relatively small company, we are something of an exception in this industry - but that is often an advantage, explains Messner: “We are very flexible, can make quick decisions, and act at short notice - something that many customers appreciate.”

Challenges on the water

The requirements for interior design “on water” are unusual in many ways: the interior fittings must be mounted in the metal ship hull in such a way that they are vibration-elastic in order to cushion vibrations. During the planning stage, it is important to make use of every available space for storage, while at the same time keeping the design simple enough that minor repairs and installations can be carried out by the crew. In addition, there are strict hygiene, safety, and fire protection regulations: only products with the appropriate certification may be used in shipbuilding. This also applies to the coatings used for the fine wood surfaces that are indispensable in yacht design. Not least for this reason, Messner relies on the products of ADLER. “With ADLER's certified coatings, we can achieve any look we need in the yacht sector: from a dull matt gloss level of G05 to a high-gloss finish or colored surfaces,” explains Philipp Gratz, Technical Director at Messner. In order to obtain the certificate, the products are tested for their fire behavior in a standardized procedure – a test that ADLER has passed not only for coatings from the solvent segment, but also for water-based coatings, in order to provide its customers with the right product for every application.

Success puzzle

Quality is just as important as functionality and safety in yacht building: “In projects in the luxury segment, the bar is naturally set very high, also in terms of the look and feel of the surfaces,” explains Messner. Samples are created in advance according to the architect's specifications, entire cabins are built as mock-ups, and all the fittings are finally approved on site by everyone involved. “We have had consistently positive experiences with ADLER coatings in this regard – not only in shipbuilding, but also in hotels, villas, and commercial interiors, where we also work with ADLER,” says Philipp Gratz. The high quality standards established by the ISO-certified company are a basic prerequisite for complaint-free projects at Messner: The hall ventilation ensures a dust-free working environment with a constant humidity of 50%. The surface finishing department is divided into separate areas: sanding booth, dust extraction chamber, paint room, paint preparation room, and drying chamber. This prevents contamination of the painted surface, while perfect management of temperature and humidity guarantees flawless surfaces. To achieve this, Messner relies on well-trained employees: “We see ourselves as a craft business and have trained many of the master carpenters who work in our team of around 40 people ourselves.” The final piece in the puzzle of success is the close cooperation between production, planning, and logistics at the company headquarters near Graz, because Messner is not only responsible for the fittings that are manufactured in-house, but also for the entire interior design: “Our core competence is the turnkey furnishing of properties, i.e., the implementation of customer requirements through to turnkey handover,” says Messner. To this end, the company has a worldwide network of suppliers and subcontractors as well as an experienced team responsible for on-site installation.

Evrima flagship project

One of the latest showcase projects to leave the Messner workshop in this way – over a project duration of three years – is the Ritz-Carlton yacht Evrima – although: With a length of 190 m, 8 passenger decks, and a capacity of 300 guests – plus almost as many crew members – it would be more accurate to describe it as a small cruise ship. Luxurious cabins with private butlers, five gourmet restaurants, and a large spa area fulfill every wish of a discerning clientele, while the interior design conveys an elegant atmosphere of well-being. The interior was designed by Tillberg Design from Sweden in a timelessly modern, Nordic style: while classic, old English yacht design is characterized by leather, dark woods, and high-gloss surfaces, the Evrima is dominated by noble understatement with a reduced color and material concept and clear lines, with wooden surfaces on walls, columns, and furniture conveying natural elegance. For a particularly authentic look, the ALPI oak and black walnut veneers were coated with a furniture lacquer, certified for shipbuilding, in the lowest possible gloss level G05. The Ritz-Carlton yacht Evrima set sail for the first time in the summer of 2022 and has been making waves in every respect ever since: as the first yacht owned by a hotel chain to combine a cruise atmosphere with exclusive hotel service. It is a prime example of how a luxurious ambience can be created in a minimalist, modern design. The Ritz-Carlton yacht Evrima set sail for the first time in the summer of 2022 and has been making waves ever since in every respect: as the first yacht owned by a hotel chain to combine a cruise atmosphere with exclusive hotel service. As a prime example of how luxurious ambience can look in a minimalist, modern design. And as proof of the extraordinary planning and craftsmanship with which Messner Ges.m.b.H. has established itself in the exclusive field of ship interior design.