Regina Palace Hotel: Story of a Project
Luxurious furnishings, crystal chandeliers, fine fabrics, Persian carpets and ancient frescoes make the Regina Palace Hotel an exclusive residence of the highest order.
It was a great privilege and a challenge for us to be part of the team that renovated the hotel in 2005.
We were responsible for creating the interior and exterior lighting and the plaques in collaboration with Statilio Ubiali Architect, retracing the centuries of history that have built the hotel’s “grandeur
Some men see things as they are and ask, “Why?”
I dare to dream of things that never were and say, “Why not?”
Genesis
One of the aspects of our work that gratifies us most is when we are entrusted with a new project, to be followed through. For us it means entering a new world, understanding its rules and principles, deciding to follow them in a natural continuity or to subvert them to create a dynamic contrast.
When we were asked to design the interior and exterior lighting and plaques for the Regina Palace Hotel in Stresa, we immediately accepted the challenge and immersed ourselves in the fin de siècle atmosphere that still characterises this dream hotel on the shores of Lake Maggiore.
In fact, the hotel is a prestigious reality in the context of both hotel and history. The Regina Palace, a four-star hotel opened in 1908, still retains the fin de siècle charm of its inauguration: in this case we chose to match the style of the hotel perfectly, respecting its historical and cultural value and trying to restore its charm intact.
We transformed ourselves into a Belle Époque traveller just off the Orient Express and tried to look at the project through his eyes, in search of luxury and Italian wonders.
Realisation
Plaques
For the new creations we worked on, we totally immersed ourselves in the belle époque atmosphere of Stresa.
The casinos, the regattas, the first horse races that attracted kings and queens, millionaires, actors and writers who often arrived on board the newly inaugurated Orient Express…
We decided to transfer that atmosphere of enchantment to our furnishings, to ensure that the hotel’s guests experience dream days now as they did then: for the Charleston Restaurant’s plaque we opted for embossed metal decorations on the lower part, gold embossed letters, blue and white enamels and gold details on the crown.
It’s the early 1900s, dinner is served: follow us in this daydream.
Lanterns
For the lanterns and street lamps we could only take inspiration from the urban lighting which appeared in London and Paris at the beginning of the 19th century.
The characteristic shape of this type of lantern has both aesthetic and practical reasons: the glass panes had to protect the flame from the wind, while the upper castle had to serve to vent the smoke from the flame.
As with the plaques, the lanterns used gilded metal decorations, gilded relief letters and gilded details on the crown.
In the evening, if you close your eyes, you can expect to hear the footsteps of the lamplighter who has come to light them…
Interior Lighting
Bevelled crystal, brass castings and hand-embossed brass, gold leaf and 24K gold: we have set ourselves no limits in the choice of materials and workmanship, to replicate the eclectic and opulent charm of turn-of-the-century furnishings and recreate the wonder that has enchanted and continues to enchant the hotel’s guests.
Adorning the ceilings and walls of the Regina Palace Hotel are our Tracy ceiling light, Judith wall lights and Charlotte chandeliers: creations born from our love of lighting and the care and passion that our craftsmen put into every little detail.
Walking through the corridors of the hotel, crossing the threshold of the great halls means taking a step back in time, surrounded by the soft lights of our lamps.
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