Located in Biarritz, overlooking the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay, Le Regina Biarritz is a historic hotel originally built in 1906 by architect Henry Martinet. As one of the emblematic Belle Époque buildings of the Basque coast, the hotel has been carefully reinterpreted in recent years, maintaining its architectural grandeur while introducing a contemporary reading of Art Deco influences, regional Basque references, and maritime motifs. Its elevated position above the city reinforces a constant visual connection to the ocean and shifting coastal light.
The heart of the building is its monumental central patio — a 15-metre-high space defined by neoclassical arcades and a large glass roof that floods the interior with natural light. Around this vertical core, the hotel unfolds through a sequence of public spaces: entrance, lobby, staircases, corridors, and bar. Each area carries its own material identity, with strong contrasts between white architectural surfaces, deep red tones, and a graphic black-and-white floor pattern that structures movement through the space.
Within this architectural framework, Brand van Egmond was commissioned to introduce a lighting language that would connect these different layers of the hotel. The Love You Love You Not collection was selected for its ability to translate floral form into structured repetition, allowing it to adapt across both large and transitional spaces.
In the central patio, a large ceiling composition spreads across the glass-roofed volume, forming a dense field of white, rose-like elements that follow the geometry of the arcades below. In circulation areas, sculptural chandeliers and wall elements mark thresholds and transitions, introducing rhythm without interrupting flow. Two tailor-made chandeliers define the entrance sequence, setting the tone for the spatial experience from the moment of arrival.
In the bar area, a contrasting gesture is introduced through a composition from the Hollywood collection. Here, branching metal structures form a more open, irregular network above marble surfaces and decorative wall finishes, adding a different layer of reflection and movement within the space.
Designed by William Brand and handcrafted in the Brand van Egmond atelier in Naarden, the lighting is integrated across the hotel as a continuous system rather than isolated objects. It follows circulation, reinforces architectural rhythm, and responds to the layered identity of the building.
In Le Regina Biarritz, light operates as an architectural connector — linking history, material, and contemporary hospitality into a single coherent experience shaped by atmosphere and detail.
