By
Laura Hyde |
Magellan Discoverer is a 76-guest hybrid-electric expedition ship, currently under construction at the ASENAV shipyard in Valdivia, Chile, with interior work underway ahead of the ship’s expected delivery to Antarctica21 in September 2026.
Antarctica21 has designed the ship as a boutique expedition cruise vessel specifically tailored for Antarctic exploration. Tomas Tillberg Design has created the interiors, with the project led by Nedgé Louis-Jacques, managing partner and senior vice president of design, and David Tovar, project director. The team travelled to the ASENAV shipyard to spend time onboard sister ship Magellan Explorer and to tour Explorers House, Antarctica21’s private expedition centre in Punta Arenas.
“Tomas Tillberg Design developed an interior identity for the ship inspired by Explorers House, our converted early-20th-century wool warehouse which established our brand’s design DNA: the interplay of heritage materials and modern accents, warm neutrals and black metal framework,” says Scandar Jacob, business partner at Antarctica21. “Through this immersion and several meetings with our team, Louis-Jacques, Tovar and their team developed a firsthand understanding of our brand, our values and the way guests experience journeys onboard Antarctica21 ships. This, combined with the hands-on involvement of our operations, fleet and commercial teams, who brought more than 20 years of experience operating on various ships and the practical lessons learned from Magellan Explorer, had a direct and positive impact on the final result. The vessel carries forward our signature blend of casual elegance and expedition spirit.”
The ship’s interiors feature modern details, black and graphite metal accents and a warm, neutral palette, which Jacob believes “balances high-end comfort with durable finishes suited to the polar environment.”
Magellan Discoverer will feature numerous enhancements compared to Magellan Explorer, which launched in December 2019. While both ships meet Polar-Class 6 standards, Magellan Discoverer also features a hybrid-electric propulsion system (with Corvus Energy battery storage and ABB Azipod technology) for quieter operation, larger cabins and expanded public spaces.
“The heart of Magellan Discoverer is the Observation Lounge and Bar,” says Jacob. “Featuring large windows which frame the Antarctic landscape, the space dissolves the boundary between inside and out. It is where guests can take a comfortable seat to watch humpback whales surface from the ocean; where expedition guides deliver presentations to deepen every encounter in the field; and where friendships blossom over evening gatherings and Chilean wines. The industrial accents carried over from Explorers House ground the space in our brand identity while allowing the scenery to take centre stage. The space is intimate enough to feel personal yet spacious enough to feel open. Guests are sure to find themselves returning again and again, not because they have to but because everything they want to see and feel is right there.”
Large windows are also a feature of the ship’s onboard sauna. “Watching icebergs drift past you in the sauna as you warm up after a Zodiac excursion captures something essential about the Antarctica21 experience: the Antarctic landscape is never just outside, it is woven into every moment onboard,” says Jacob.
The ship’s all-balcony cabins and suites feature higher ceilings, expanded layouts and sliding glass doors that open onto private balconies. Heated bathroom floors, ample wardrobe space and a private sitting area add to the accommodation’s boutique-hotel feel, while the ship’s 12 exclusive suites, including family and triple suites, cater for multigenerational groups.
“Every interior decision reflects the ship’s purpose: to navigate Southern waters with agility, reaching places larger vessels simply cannot access, without sacrificing charm or comfort,” says Jacob. “Tomas Tillberg Design has created a guest journey with remarkable coherence, from a Patagonian building to a purpose-built polar vessel, and very few expedition cruise companies can claim that kind of end-to-end design intentionality.”
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