Page 229 - Livre Beau Rivage Palace

Fig. 10

in the central area. From north to south, the main section of the DECOR, FURNISHINGS, COMFORT in Louis xv and Chippendale style, while at least four drawing come together: namely, beauty and ‘art for art’s sake’, and the cold
building gave a sense of ‘transparency’: an illusionistic Baroque Although they may at first seem secondary, the stylistic rooms were decorated in the ‘modern style’ (undoubtedly inspired rationality of complex iron and cast-iron structures. The Palace
conceit giving the impression of infinite space. This architectural choices made with regard to a hotel’s interior design and facilities by Art Nouveau). The floor coverings were subject to the same could even be described as a kind of cross between the Paris Opéra
sleight of hand helped to amplify the size of the rooms visually, are nonetheless of crucial importance to those involved in its attention to detail: on the ground and first floors, the tiling was and the Eiffel Tower. By borrowing from French models, it was
and also allowed for a certain amount of lavishness in the decor, construction. Between 1905 and 1908, the style of the decor and laid in rectangular patterns and carpets had a variety of borders; the able to meet the expectations of its guests and, perhaps, encourage
which did not impinge on the spatial quality of the area, but furnishings (colours of fabrics and wallpapers, changes in the detail upper floors featured a simpler octagonal paving along with more their loyalty: the almost complete dominance of the Parisian Beaux
further defined its contours. Even the internal spaces, articulated of the marble designs, etc.) was repeatedly discussed, and the subject carpets of varying designs. The carpets, which were red on the Arts style over whole sections of the architecture bears witness to
in numerous sections, reveal Jost’s debt to Baroque forms: the was evidently close to the hearts of Jost and Schnell. In January 1906, ground floor, were yellow and blue on the upper floors. When it this. However, in translating these foreign references, the architects
dining room, whose exterior was a simple rectangular box, was a succession of hotels throughout Switzerland and even Germany came to comfort and sanitary facilities, nothing was left to chance: from Lausanne were able to assimilate the basic facts so skilfully
transformed inside into a space with a central floor plan thanks to were visited to research furnishings: the Palaces of Montreux, Caux, the plan of the building, with its south-facing rooms exposed that their solution surpassed its predecessors; and the appearance of
the two lateral partition walls (rendered diaphanous by the open and St Moritz, the Hôtel des Alpes in Territet, the Univers in Basle, to the sunlight and north-facing corridor, featuring numerous the building alongside the Montreux Palace in Edouard Ossent’s
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Venetian window) and the stained-glass dome which delineated the National in Lucerne, the Baur au Lac in Zurich, the Marquart windows which provided natural light and good ventilation, is clear prestigious Parisian publication is a reminder that soon after it
the proportions of the central square – we should note, in in Stuttgart, and various other establishments in Frankfurt. In indication of the Société’s concerns to build a structure which met opened, the Palace was to become a model in its own right.
passing, that metal girders had to be employed in order to bear general terms, the board favoured Louis xv- and xvi-style decor, the sanitary standards of the time. The building boasted a number
the substantial loads created (fig. 6). The hall was also covered the ‘Empire style’, white walls with contrasting gold patterns and of other features to enhance the comfort of guests: a Schindler lift;
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with a dome, this time in brickwork (actually a grooved flat the ‘extremely beautiful’ lemon wood and mahogany furniture electricity throughout; central heating; and a bathroom for each
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ceiling simulating a semi-domed vault) (figs 7 and 8). This was made by the German company Wirth. The furnishings were finally guest room (the location of the bathrooms between the guest
complemented by several spaces to the side (corridors leading commissioned from three different companies, in the interests of rooms and the corridor also acted as a sound-proofing system).
to the garden) and the rear (the central corridor and its two ‘dispersing’ the work so that it could all be done at the same time (as The washbasins and baths were all of faience, except for those on
octagonal vestibules which acted as ‘joints’ to the composition), opposed to ‘dividing it’, which implied one job being performed the ground floor, where marble was used in the most luxurious
adding to the overall effect: the central space was defined by after another). Hotels generally tried to ‘disperse’ jobs in this way suites. More examples abound from the many discussions which
pilasters which delineated arcades; these, in turn, opened onto to try and speed up their completion. The companies Zehrle and took place on how the Palace should be fitted out. The few archive
other internal spaces (this time square), likewise punctuated by Bussinger of Basle, Zemp of Emmenbrücke (who seemed to be photographs provide better evidence than words as to the quality
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doors and windows. The sculpted and painted decoration helped ‘honest and able to produce well-made items’) and Aeschlimann of of the results (fig. 10).
give the composition depth, a three-dimensional quality, and the Meilen were duly contacted in May 1906 to provide samples, and
illusion of space (for example, the trompe-l’œil sky represented the final choices were made that September. This trio would be LUXURY AND SCIENCE
on the ceiling) and light (which highlighted the sculpture and joined by the Société Suisse d’ameublement, a furnishing company Luxury and science combined to produce an effect which
the pale tones of the decor). However, the three-dimensionality based in Lausanne. The care with which these firms were selected must have seemed the height of modernity. The combination of
of the decoration also created a more centripetal (rather than can be explained by the sums of money involved: over half a Louis xvi and Empire styles with central heating and vacuum
centrifugal) energy within the rooms: in other words, attention million francs, of which almost 102,000 francs was earmarked for cleaning systems did not signify the end of an era – the rather
was drawn into the room, rather than out of it. This is borne out the ground floor alone. Jost and Schnell themselves appear to pathetic swan song that the belle époque had represented for a
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by the north-facing position of the dining room, which precludes have designed some of the furnishings for the public rooms, which long time to mocking late twentieth-century commentators. Quite
panoramic views. Here, the social ‘theatre’ of the hotel found were executed by one or other of the companies. The decor chosen the opposite. It marked the long-awaited union of two contrasting
a decorative scheme all of its own. It was left to other, more for the public and private rooms reflected the contemporary taste concepts, art and engineering, tradition and modernity. In spite
intimate spaces to establish a sensitive visual relationship with the for late eighteenth-century style: eight rooms were decorated in of the limitations imposed by time, money, business concerns
distant landscape of the outside world. Louis xvi, Adam, Empire and Directoire style and another three and fashion, the Palace enabled two remote architectural ideas to

Large bedroom with en suite bathroom.

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