Page 186 - Livre Beau Rivage Palace

Fig. 1

THE ARCHITECTURAL ORIGINS their present state, and that they would have to be revised to make them porch, which appears to extend back on both sides of the building
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to form a gallery. Gindroz’s overhangs were much less generous
completely suitable’, the following prizes were awarded: 1000 fr. to
AND EVOLUTION OF LAUSANNE’S François Gindroz of Geneva, 900 fr. to Achille de La Harpe and and so did not allow for this type of feature. As regards decoration,
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FIRST LUXURY HOTEL Jean-Baptiste Bertolini of Lausanne and 500 fr. to Samuel Késer- Gindroz followed the recommendations in the brief and designed
an extremely simple facade, whereas Késer diverged considerably
Doret of Vevey.
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Since they found it difficult to choose between the first two from it, adorning the large piers of his projecting sections with
projects, the board of directors decided to give the commission to pilasters, entablatures and even caryatids. Both architects borrowed
the locally based architects in second place, reasoning that: ‘The from the Neoclassical repertoire popular in the grand architecture
board thought it fair, appropriate and extremely practical to entrust the of the first half of the nineteenth century. The design for Bertolini
main building work to a fellow citizen and inhabitant of Lausanne who and de La Harpe’s facade is lost, so we can only surmise that their
is liked and admired by everyone, and known for his integrity, skills and project must have used the same stylistic language; evidence of
experience; moreover, M. de La Harpe has a partner, M. Bertolini, whose this is not only to be found in the style of the Beau-Rivage, but
Joëlle NEUENSCHWANDER FEIHL
talent and taste are widely appreciated. The jury reported that further in the majority of the other buildings designed by these architects,
Before the Société immobilière d’Ouchy was officially individual rooms for the use of tourists only. The apartments mentioned studies would be required to produce a definitive plan, and it was therefore both of whom trained with Henri Perregaux, whose own work
founded in July 1857, four members of the provisional committee above should also be designed in such a way that they may be subdivided of prime importance that the architect lived here so that the board could was designed along pure Neoclassical lines (figs 3-9).
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bought from the Allott family a piece of land located on the into individual rooms. The hotel should have around 120 rooms. The consult with him on a daily basis, and follow and manage his work, none As far as the internal layout of the ground floor is concerned,
western edge of the village, with a view to building a ‘first-class best feature of our chosen location is its beautiful views, particularly to the of which would have been possible with a Geneva-based architect.’ 11 we only have the plans by Bertolini and de La Harpe and Gindroz.
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hotel’. They subsequently resold the land to the company without south and east, and this should be taken into consideration when planning A few of the plans from the prize-winning projects have Bertolini and de La Harpe answered the brief by reserving the
a profit. In June 1857, the committee raised a million francs from the facades. We strongly recommend the use of balconies and large picture survived, although the differences in their presentation makes it entire floor for public rooms and service areas: these were arranged
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their successful share flotation, enabling them to finance a number windows among other things. As regards the decor, please bear in mind hard to compare them, particularly when considering the projects along a vast central hall, extended to the south by a lobby opening
of projects including the construction of a hotel (figs. 1 and 2). that this is a business venture whose shareholders will expect a satisfactory in their entirety. The three buildings are arranged in five sections: onto the colonnaded porch. The wings and the southern end of
return on their investment. The decor should therefore be somewhat reserved, a central pavilion (more or less prominent) surmounted by an the receding sections contained a number of drawing rooms and
THE ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION and in keeping with the location. In this respect, candidates should take attic storey, and flanked on either side by a receding section and dining rooms, the largest of which was in the west wing and could
Rather than commission a single architect directly, the board heart from the fact that the buildings in this region tend to be decorated a side wing. The buildings designed by Gindroz and Késer both accommodate two huge banqueting tables seating seventy diners
of directors decided to launch a competition, a highly unusual in a very understated style […]. The hotel’s position is more or less fixed. comprised 21 axes on the southern facade, while Bertolini and each. In contrast, Gindroz put apartments in the wings and rooms
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step at the time for a private development. Candidates were It will be located on the Allott piece of land in Ouchy, with the southern de La Harpe’s project was made up of 23 axes, with the extra in the north section of the ground floor; as for the public areas, his
given a very precise brief, specifying both the architecture and (principal) facade facing the lake and running parallel to the quay.’ 5 two being deeper (figs 3-5). Unlike Késer, Gindroz allowed for plan only featured the domestic staff dining room (to the north
the layout of the proposed building: ‘The planned hotel is not only In September 1857 nine projects were submitted for review accommodation in the attic storey, and used the slight incline of the west wing), the guest dining room and a small reading
intended for passing visitors, but also and above all for long-term guests. It by the jury, which was made up of three architects, Jean Franel of in the landscape to create a partially sunken lower-ground floor room (in the southern end) and an ‘atrium’ in the centre of the
must, therefore, meet the requirements of a “residential hotel”. The ground Geneva, Louis Joël and Louis Wenger of Lausanne and two hotel whose southern side gave onto a ‘grand central courtyard’; this also building which opened out from a staircase leading to the lower-
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floor should be reserved for communal living areas including the dining executives – Alexandre Rufenacht and Gabriel Monnet – who enabled him to create a terrace walkway on the upper-ground ground floor and the ‘grand central courtyard’. The elevation of the
rooms, drawing rooms and other public rooms used by our guests […]. The at that time were responsible for the two most prestigious hotels floor level, which led down to the gardens via two monumental atrium was similar to that of the lobby designed and executed by
hotel is to comprise three floors. The first floor should be divided into self- in the Lake Geneva region: the Hôtel des Bergues in Geneva staircases at each end of the facade. Késer introduced a covered Bertolini and de La Harpe. The central atrium, surmounted by
contained apartments suitable for families. It should also contain the hotel’s (managed by Rufenacht), and the Hôtel des Trois-Couronnes gallery to the right of the receding sections, while the projecting a glass roof to form an internal courtyard, and rising up to the
finest rooms, notably the corner rooms which will offer views in several in Vevey (founded and owned by Monnet). Although the jury sections appear to have been treated as verandas; Bertolini and de full height of the building with galleries surrounding it on every
different directions. The remaining two upper floors are to be divided into concluded that ‘none of the plans submitted could be executed in La Harpe fronted their central pavilion section with a colonnaded floor, appears frequently in hotel architecture, notably in the Lake

L[ouis] Joël and Maget architects, Proposed hotel. Layout drawing, Fig. 2 >
28 February 1857. L[ouis] Joël and Maget architects, Proposed hotel. South side, 28 February 1857.
The architects named the project Hôtel du Léman.

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