Light as an indispensable link in the experience of hospitality

In Bruges, IB lichtateljee enjoyed legendary status from the 1980s onwards. Managing director - and lighting pioneer - Ignace Berten was known far and wide for his innovative and pioneering lighting creations. A few years ago, his equally enthusiastic son Simon took over under a new name: INTI House of Light.

Simon Berten, manager INTI House Of Light: "We have been a conceptual lighting design studio with a unique perspective on every architectural project for decades. I am an architect by training and started my career at JDS Architects in Brussels and Govaert & Vanhoutte in Bruges, among others. But blood is thicker than water and so about five years ago I took over my father's company. I changed the name to INTI House Of Light, but the ambition and passion for light and architecture is in the genes and I continue it with pride. At INTI House Of Light you can go for a functional and aesthetic lighting design, the purchase of quality luminaires or both."

"We design light in all shapes, colours and sizes for a wide range of projects," Simon continues. "This includes office and residential buildings, museums and monuments, but also all areas of a hospitality project such as the bar, restaurant, wellness and rooms. Besides interiors, gardens, facades, public spaces, etc. are also part of our scope. Apart from our designs, we are also distributors of premium lighting brands. Only brands produced in Europe, by the way. Because we want craftsmanship, sustainability and energy efficiency to take centre stage. Because it's simple, the higher the quality of the products you work with, the higher the level of your overall project. For the Silt hotel, too, we adhered to these values."

With its spectacular exterior, the Silt Hotel in Middelkerke is a striking new eye-catcher on the Belgian coast. The Belgian interior design firm TJIP was called in.

Simon: "This studio was founded by Jakob Vyncke and Thomas Meesschaert, and I used to go to school with the latter. We had previously worked together successfully on several projects, including for the wellness of Andromeda hotel in Ostend, which, like Silt, is part of the coastal hotel group C-hotels. We were also the ideal partner for this larger project. After all, INTI has all the knowledge and expertise to offer a complete project follow-up from A to Z. From a creative lighting design, the right luminaire choice according to space and budget, detailed technical support and site follow-up, and even our own custom-made lamp designs to emphasise the unique character of the Silt hotel. Once the project is completed, we come on site to set the right atmospheres and align the lamps correctly. In short, INTI lights, coordinates and unburdens."

Close contact and consultation with all parties involved, including the (interior) architect, client and installer, are the basis for a successful and extensive project like the Silt Hotel. Simon: "For me, it's important to know what materials the interior will consist of, what the purpose of the room is, what kind of clientele is wanted, ... You can only give an adequate technical lighting answer if you know what the client wants. And I always come to the same conclusion: the right light in the right place is crucial for the spatial experience. Because ultimately you are not just lighting surfaces, but sculpting with light. This is how architecture comes to life and the senses are stimulated."