MV SINBAD

When RealNZ set out to create MV Sinbad, their first business-class vessel, the ambition extended well beyond an elevated tourism offering. The brief called for an interior that honoured the surrounding landscape, Māori narratives, conservation values, shared knowledge, and the human hands that continue to shape its story.

Undercurrent Studio approached the project as an exploration of spatial storytelling — one where craft, culture, and environment flow as a single current. Guided by the belief that interior and exterior landscapes are inherently connected, the design dissolves boundaries between vessel and place.

Every surface, textile, carving, and detail aboard Sinbad carries its own lineage — from the forests of Piopiotahi to South Island artisans and specialist makers beyond. The result is a vessel where contemporary design and deep-rooted tradition meet in quiet harmony, offering guests an experience of understated luxury that is deeply grounded in place.

Project: Hospitality
Location: Piopiotahi, Milford Sound
Photography: Two Bearded Men