This $600 million concept yacht was inspired by ancient Roman architecture but designed to look like a shark - see inside the Prodigium

The concept Prodigium yacht.Lazzarini Design Studio

• Rome-based Lazzarini Design Studio has unveiled another megayacht design inspired by an animal: the Prodigium.
• The concept yacht was designed to look like a shark, but has interior elements inspired by ancient Roman architecture.
• If constructed, the ship could take about 28 months and almost $364.5 million to build, designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini told Business Insider in an email interview.
• As a result, the yacht could retail for about $607.4 million.
• Yacht sales spiked early on in the coronavirus pandemic, and the wealthy have been using yacht charters as a way to isolate for weeks to months at a time.

Rome-based Lazzarini Design Studio has unveiled its latest megayacht concept inspired by an animal and Roman architecture: the Prodigium.

The yacht could take about 28 months and almost $364.5 million to construct if the design was executed, designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini told Business Insider in an email interview. As a result, Lazzarini predicts the ship could retail for about $607.4 million.

Despite these high numbers, 2020 has proven to be a good year to unveil a yacht design given the resiliency of yachting during the coronavirus pandemic. While cruise ships have become a known source of coronavirus spread, superyacht marinas have stayed open, according to a report in March.

"Yachts are actually considered one of the most hygienic and safest places to be under any circumstance," superyacht and luxury yacht firm IYC said in a news release in March. "The diligent efforts from crew members around the clock ensure that each yacht is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized prior to, and throughout every trip."

Read more: Yachting insiders detail the rampant sexual harassment aboard million-dollar ships, where crew members are promised a glamorous lifestyle and can instead find themselves trapped at sea with no one to turn to

As a result, the wealthy have been resorting to superyacht charters as a way to isolate for up to several months at a time during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are witnessing a double digit increase in terms of booking requests from clients who are looking to switch from a hotel stay to a yacht vacation," co-founder and CEO of BoatAffair, a boat rental and "experiences" company, Adrian Walker told Paula Froelich for Travel and Leisure in March.

Similarly, boat sales, including yachts, saw an increase in sales early on in the pandemic, ultimately hitting a decade high in May with a 9% increase in sales compared to pre-COVID-19 numbers, according to a report from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).

That same month saw a 51% increase in yacht sales in May compared to April, according to data from NMMA obtained by Barron's Penta.

"Sooner or later, someone brave enough [to build the concept] will arrive," Lazzarini said.

Keep scrolling to see the Prodigium: