Page 200 - Livre Beau Rivage Palace

Fig. 8 Fig. 9 Fig. 10
Geneva area in the Hôtel des Trois-Couronnes in Vevey (1842), of drawers, washbasin, couch, a table by the window and two or three chairs,
the Hôtel de la Paix in Geneva (1865) and the Grand Hôtel de and [they had] even managed to achieve a very satisfying result in the
Vevey (1867, subsequently demolished). In the era of gas lighting, smallest rooms, but they had not been able to do this without extending
architects of large buildings were particularly fond of the effect the size of the building’.
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created by a central ‘well’ of light at the very heart of a structure. Rather than adapting Gindroz’s plan, the architects submitted
As a superb focal point and the defining space of an establishment, a scaled-down version of their original proposal. They removed
the lobby or atrium was considered to be the hotel feature par one axis from each of the receding sections, bringing the number
excellence by Eduard Guyer, who published a canonical work on down to five, and reduced the size and number of public rooms;
hotel architecture in 1874: ‘The lobby, which is surrounded by rooms some of the guest rooms (a few of which had sitting rooms)
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used by almost all of the hotel’s guests in their day-to-day business, must appeared in the east section of the ground floor, while the
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be very light and reflect the importance of the establishment: above all, it domestic staff dining room was relegated to the basement. The
is essential that the staircases be well illuminated, especially at the foot. communal areas were concentrated in the west and centre of the
Skylights are normally used to provide more daylight.’ 13 structure, with the main dining room in the wing, a ‘breakfast and
private dining room, which may also serve as the dining room during the
THE EVOLUTION OF THE PLANS winter season’, and a ‘small drawing room with access onto the terrace’
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Bertolini and de La Harpe worked on four successive facing the lake. At the owners’ request, the architects reluctantly
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projects whose plans have now been lost, while the design converted the central lobby into a large hall to be divided into
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which was finally executed is known only from plans published two separate rooms with opposing fireplaces. This solution was
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after the building’s completion, in 1869 and 1874. The way the the one finally chosen, with a drawing room and smoking room
project evolved must, therefore, be pieced together from written occupying the designated space. The entrance hall was also
documents, in this case comments accompanying the first two simplified: the two symmetrical staircases with three flights of
preparatory projects, along with reports made by the board of stairs were replaced by a single, smaller staircase with only two
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directors. The architects were initially asked to revise Gindroz’s flights, like the one envisaged by Gindroz. At this stage, the project
project, since their own was judged to be too large and complicated; still included plans to install ‘a mobile platform [in the entrance hall]
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its cost was calculated at 830,000 fr. (with a capacity of 162 beds) for the raising and lowering of objects’. This technological innovation,
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as opposed to 731,000 fr. for that of Gindroz (102 beds). The again originally presented by Gindroz, was a precursor to the lift,
developers had only budgeted 500,000 fr., which was supposed which only made its first appearance in Switzerland in 1867 in
to cover ‘the building, outhouses, courtyards, gates, railings, porter’s lodge the Grand Hôtel de Vevey; the Beau-Rivage Palace’s own ‘mobile
and terraces’. The first preparatory project, which allowed for only platform’ was eventually abandoned at the behest of Alexandre
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86 beds, was still over budget at 600,000 fr., and the architects Rufenacht, who became involved in the project as the hotel’s
themselves were not happy with it, considering it ‘too cramped’. future general manager.
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They wanted to ‘increase the proportions of the apartments, the smoking There is a fair amount of information on the heating and
room, the private dining room and even the domestic staff dining room’, plumbing systems. In their first preparatory project, the architects
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reminding the board that: ‘In their competition project [they had] mentioned a ‘steam (or arc or hot water) heating system’, no doubt
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paid the greatest attention to furnishing each room appropriately, since in rejected because every room had its own fireplace. They also talked
addition to the beds and night tables, each room was to have a […] chest of ‘a hot and cold running water system’, which was probably to
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< Fig. 7 Samuel Késer-Doret architect, Proposed hotel at Ouchy. Layout drawing
François Gindroz architect, Ouchy. Hôtel Beau-Rivage. South facade [1857]. [plus contour map of plot] [1857].
The glass roof above the main body of the building was later added in pencil. Competition entry under the slogan: L'esprit est comme l'or, c'est l'usage
qui en fait le mérite (The mind is like gold, it should be used well).
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have supplied the hot water tap they had planned to have on each slightly protruding pavilions. The roof featured three glass skylights
floor; this was axed by Rufenacht, however, arguing that ‘pipes are illuminating the main entrance hall and the two service stairwells
troublesome and can cause damage, and it is the duty of the staff to bring and their courtyards (situated at the centre of the receding structures).
pitchers of hot water to the guests’ rooms’. It seems that Rufenacht The external decoration, in molasse (a type of stone composite local to
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also rejected the proposal to install a bathroom on every floor the region, consisting of sandstone, marls and other conglomerates),
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(which would have been the height of luxury at the time), in the was extremely sober and minimalist: the window frames featured
interests of saving water. Plans were subsequently made for four subtle crossette mouldings and casings linked to cornerstones on
bathrooms to be built in an outhouse which was to be constructed the lower floors, and colossal pilasters on the two upper floors. The
to the north-west of the hotel, and was also to have contained ‘a central structure was distinguished by the attic, whose balustrade was
stable, shed, hayloft, woodshed and other utility rooms to service carved with stylised palmette and leaf motifs, and the colonnaded
the hotel’. This was never built either, and the bath cubicles were porch, with columns surmounted by Ionic capitals. The only other
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finally installed in the hotel basement. 33 decorative element was provided by a few balconies on the first two
The definitive plans, featuring receding sections with only floors of the facades. (fig. 11)
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four axes each, were approved by the board of directors on 27 Inside, the grand entrance hall was particularly sumptuous.
January 1858. Two months later the board asked the architects It was surrounded on all four sides by galleries whose supports
to alter the roofing, finding that: ‘The upper part of the building is became simpler as the floors decreased in height: composite faux
somewhat unsatisfactory, since the uniformity of the roof design is not in marble columns and marble-clad pilasters on the ground floor,
harmony with the rest of the structure’.’ Bertolini and de La Harpe fluted Doric columns on the first and second floors, smooth
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therefore proposed to add ‘an attic onto each of the building’s main columns on the third floor and pillars on the final floor (fig. 12).
sections, that is the central structure and the east and west wings. From an The decoration of the capitals and cast-iron railings was conceived
aesthetic point of view this is highly preferable, as it breaks the monotony to follow the same hierarchical principle; the first- and second-
of the roofing proposed in the first plan, which followed a continuous line floor railings were punctuated by centrally positioned standard
across the central structure and the two wings; it also has the advantage of lamps made from the same material. Before the lift was installed in
allowing for a considerable increase in the number of rooms’. (fig. 10) 1888, the lower floors were more sought after and consequently
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Construction work on the hotel began in spring 1858 and better furnished: the luxury apartments, with bedrooms and
the first foundation stone was laid in an official ceremony on 17 drawing rooms, were all located on the first and second floors of
August 1858. The excavation and masonry contracts were awarded the main building and side wings (figs 13 and 14).
to Louis Corbaz and Georges Krieg respectively. The carpentry In 1874, Eduard Guyer considered the Beau-Rivage to be
was executed by Charles Regamey, and the slate roofing by Jean ‘ground-breaking within the hotel industry’ adding that it ‘may still
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Schittenhel. M. Bouché was put in charge of the ironwork, on the be regarded as a model in many ways’, notably for its excellent
condition that he liaise with Charrière & Larpin, another sub- lighting: ‘On every floor the lobby extends north as far as the entrance
contractor. For the marble paving, the final contracts we know of facade, providing it with extra daylight in addition to that entering from
were awarded to David Doret of Vevey for the ground floor, and the skylight; this principle is also followed in the corridors […] of the
to Turel of Lausanne for the first floor. side wings, although it must be said that while this is extremely well
The hotel opened on 24 March 1861. The Neoclassical- thought out, it is also a considerable luxury that not every hotel is able
style building comprised nineteen axes punctuated by three to emulate’. 38
Samuel Késer-Doret, architect, Proposed hotel at Ouchy. Hôtel Beau-Rivage, Ouchy. Elevation of the main facade as built.
South facade [1857].
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