Page 239 - Livre Beau Rivage Palace

Fig. 13 Fig. 14 Fig. 15 Fig. 16

in the French capital. The French-language bibliography in the Société Suisse des Hôteliers and Switzerland Tourism, specialists 1. Flückiger-Seiler 2001, pp. 67-69 – for Hôtel d’Angleterre see De Senarclens, 45. Gaulis, Creux, 1976.
et al. 1993, p. 38f.
catalogue comprises just eighteen titles covering a period of in the various fields affected discussed the options for conserving 2. El-Wakil 1978 – Flückiger-Seiler 2001, p. 89f. and Flückiger-Seiler 2003, 46. Ammann, 1976ss.
47. Ott, 1990.
54
more than two centuries – effectively demonstrating how little historically important hotel buildings. The Lucerne conference p. 50f. (architecture competition). 48. Miller, 1992.
3. Flückiger-Seiler 2001, p. 89. 49. Schmitt, 1982 – Wenzel, 1991.
research has been devoted to hotel architecture in France. introduced the ‘Historic hotel/restaurant of the year’ award which has 4. Rambert 1877, pp. 116, 120 – Bettex 1913, p. 302f. and annexes. 50. Grenier, et al. 1985.
52
5. Flückiger-Seiler 1999 and Flückiger-Seiler 2001, pp. 154-171.
51. Saudan, Blanc, Saudan-Skira, 1985.
Finally, the most recent work on the culture of the belle époque since encouraged many hoteliers to be more aware of the heritage 6. Flückiger-Seiler 2003, p. 58 and figs. 61-64 (architecture competition). 52. Du Palais au Palace, Paris, 1998.
7. Zur Erinnerung…1915, p. 23, tab. 10, 11 – Krapf, 1957, p.8. 53. Vasko-Johasz, 2006.
grand hotels presents the hotels and spas built by the Südbahn- aspect of their buildings. Clearly, the label ‘historic’ was no longer to 8. Lüthi 1999 and Lüthi 2001. 54. Historische Hotels erhalten und betreiben, Akten der Fachtagung Luzern 14-16, September
9. Museum im Bellpark, Kriens: [letter in the 1998 exhibition]. 1995. Lucerne, 1996.
Eisenbahngesellschaft at Semmering in Austria. 53 be equated with ‘outdated’ because it could be recognised with this 10. Flückiger-Seiler 2001, pp. 44-60. 55. See Conseil de l’Europe, Comité du patrimoine culturel. Synthèse des travaux de la conférence
de Nice. Strasbourg le 17 février 2000, p. 4.
award when the building was restored to heritage standards. At the 11. [Die baulichen Auswüchse in Interlaken, [der einst ein] ruhiger ländlicher Ort, 56. The award is offered by the Südtiroler Sparkasse foundation and the Landesdenkmalamt
ein Aufenthalt für stille Freude an der grossen Natur [gewesen, nunmehr aber zu einer]

and awarded by an international panel of specialists including the author of this article.
THE RENOVATION OF HISTORIC HOTELS colloquium on tourist and travel heritage organised by the Council schillernden Niederlassung reicher Fremder [entartet sei].] (Hegner, 1818, 57. www.swiss-historic-hotels.com.
vol. 4, III, Introduction.)
The preservation of Hotel Giessbach on Lake Brienz, by the of Europe in Nice in the autumn of 1999 this award achieved pan- 12. Translation from the German translation in Tolstoy 1967. Bibliography on page 433.
13. Alphonse Daudet, Tartarin of Tarascon, Tartarin on the Alps, trans. Henry Frith,
Giessbach dem Schweizervolk, a foundation founded by wildlife European recognition as an exemplary quality label for heritage J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd, London, 1954, pp.135-136.
14. On the new ’Heimatstil’ architecture see Crettaz-Stürzel 2005, vol. 1.
55
and environment campaigner Franz Weber, stands out as a key conservation. Since 2007, South Tyrol has also awarded a prize for 15. ‘Ein schönes und ein hässliches Gebäude’ (Heimatschutz, Heft 1/1906).
16. Schweizerische Bauzeitung 1905/XLVI, p.83f., 140f., 150ff. and 1906/XLVII, p.120ff.
event in the rediscovery of historic hotel buildings and their the historic hotel or ‘auberge’ of the year – an initiative introduced 17. ’Seit Jahren tobt im Schweizerland der Krieg gegen die unsere schönsten Gegenden
56
conservation according to heritage standards. In 1981, planning by the national heritage organisation. entstellenden Hotelkästen. […]. Weil ihnen eine, einmal nach sentimentaler Romantik, ein
andermal nur nach Pomp und Protz riechende Maske aufgesetzt ist.’ (Guyer,1917, p. 71.)
permission was granted for a ‘jumbo chalet’ to take the place of In 2005, some enterprising hoteliers founded Swiss Historic 18. E.g. in Diethelm, 1920 or Wöhler, 1929.
19. Amstutz, 1929.
Horace Edouard Davinet’s hotel, built in 1875, prompting a Hotels, a marketing organisation for historic hotels (fig. 22). 20. Schweizerische Bauzeitung 1929/94, p. 43. See also Der Berner Heimatschutz.
57
Ein Rück- und Ausblick, Berne, 1948.
flurry of protests, and a widely supported working party explored Representing a new landmark in the rediscovery of historic hotel 21. Horace Edouard Davinet, Souvenirs de Mons, ed. Davinet, Berne, 1921 (MS in Stadt-
und Universitätsbibliothek Berne).
alternative proposals which would allow the hotel building to be buildings, this association is significant because it shows that hoteliers 22. ALS, p. 379f.
23. Meyer, 1942, Meyer, 1944 and Meyer, 1957.
conserved. In the space of one year, the foundation – which is themselves are learning to see the history and value of their building 24. Meili, 1945.
active throughout Switzerland – raised a sum of 3 million Swiss as a marketing asset. Historic hotels which meet the relevant criteria 25. Report in the archives of Société Suisse du Crédit hôtelier, Zurich, Dossier 122/20.
26. Schmid, 1948, p. 339.
francs to save the entire hotel complex. The meticulous restoration in terms of architectural history and heritage can apply to become 27. The story is told in Flückiger-Seiler 2005, p. 80-89. See also Laur, 1951 and Kopp, 1955.
28. ‘Stimmungskulissen ohne Anspruch auf Ernsthaftigkeit’ (Meyer, 1957).
of the hotel and its adjoining funicular, carried out in several stages members of the group. Compared with just twenty years ago See also Schmid, 1957.
29. My thanks to Madame Evelyne Lüthi-Graf for this information. See also her contribution
and with a great deal of supporting publicity, acted as a catalyst: for when hoteliers were ashamed of what they called their ‘old hulks’, to this publication, p. 314.
30. Reinle, 1962, p.112ff.
architectural specialists and art historians, historic hotels had now today many owners are keen to acquire the label of ‘historic hotel’; 31. Ottiger, 1976.
32. Author’s interview with Roman Ottiger on 28 August 2007 at Hotel Schweizerhof in Berne.
become acceptable again (see fig. 13). some are even using the term for buildings which do not in fact 33. Wyssbrod, 1988.
The colloquium on heritage conservation and tourism staged fulfil the requisite criteria. In the world of tourism, ‘historic’ has 34. The author is grateful to Anne Wyssbrod, currently living in Canada, for making her

private archives on this subject available so promptly.
by argealp (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Alpenländer) in Davos in 1992 become fashionable again. In 2007, moreover, Switzerland Tourism 35. Rucki, 1989.
36. Flückiger-Seiler, 1996 (Lawinenartig).
marked another turning point in the history of the conservation of launched a marketing concept called ‘Timetravel’ promoting historic 37. Lugano Hotels, 1998.
38. Barbey, 1982 (Genève), Neuenschwander Feihl, 1990 (Lausanne), Neuenschwander Feihl,
hotel buildings. Here, tourism and heritage specialists met for the hotels, railways and other tourist facilities with heritage appeal. The 2000 (Montreux), Neuenschwander Feihl, 2003 (Vevey), Maurer, Wolf, 2003 (Thoune),
Wyss, 1991 (Lucerne), Giacomazzi, 1991 (Locarno), Hauser, 1991 (Lugano), Rebsamen,
first time to discuss their concerns. At the time, heritage specialists devaluation of historic hotel buildings in Switzerland, which lasted Stutz, 1982 (Davos).
throughout Switzerland were concerned about the threatened a century and was supported by the official bodies, finally came to 39. The verification of data published in works relating to Interlaken (Krebser, 1990) and
Weggis (Weggiser Lesebuch, 1993) clearly demonstrates the academic inadequacy of

this type of work.
demolition of the rooms in Lucerne’s Schweizerhof, key works an end with initiatives of this kind. 40. Kriens-Kairo. Emil Vogt: Luzerner Architekt um 1900, catalogue of the exhibition in
in art historical terms. As a result the issue of ‘conserving and Museum im Bellpark Kriens, Kriens 1998.
41. Lüthi, 1999 and Lüthi, 2001.
operating historic hotels’ became the topic of a specialist conference 42. Flückiger-Seiler, 2001 and Flückiger-Seiler, 2003.
43. Fonds National Suisse research project no. 1215-042106.94, approved on 17 May 1995.
in Lucerne in 1995. Under the aegis of the Swiss branch of icomos 44. Grisons inventory at Kant. Denkmalpflege in Chur. Lucerne inventory at Kant. Denkmalpflege
in Lucerne (Flückiger-Seiler, Omachen, 1997ff.). Valais at the Office de la Protection des
(primarily conservation specialists) and in collaboration with the Biens Culturels in Sion (Kant. Kulturgüterdienst).
Hôtel de Giessbach, Horace Edouard Davinet, architect. Walzenhausen Spa Hotel, south facade. Present state and planned changes. Aigle, Grand Hôtel. Les Avants, Hôtel de Jaman.
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