Page 187 - Livre Beau Rivage Palace
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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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