Page 88 - Livre Beau Rivage Palace
P. 88

Fig. 8

                                                                                                                                                             The construction of the Palace was then debated for more   which was less pure than spring water. In their opinion, Lausanne’s
                                                                                                                                                         than a year, because those in favour of financial caution and   reputation as a health cure centre, which attracted large numbers
                                                                                                                                                         architectural aesthetics, led by the private banker Charles Auguste   of  foreign visitors, would  not survive this. The private  banker
                                                                                                                                                         Bugnion,  were opposed to it: ‘He questions the attractiveness of this   Marc Morel-Marcel, director of Beau-Rivage threw himself fully
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                                                                                                                                                         project, which he considers anti-artistic, absolutely deplorable and liable to   into this battle (table 1). The water supply was municipalised in
                                                                                                                                                         seriously damage, in a purely industrial sense, the special character of our   1901, and the tourist question was resolved because the water
                                                                                                                                                         hotel which is so much appreciated. It is not the expense that alarms him,  was spring water purchased from Pays-d’Enhaut. Between 1902
                                                                                                                                                         but he would like to see the 2 million at least that we will be spending   and 1907, the sio negotiated the municipalisation of its hydraulic
                                                                                                                                                         on such a badly thought-out extension put to another use. It is the project   network. The creation of the public utility, in fact, guaranteed
                                                                                                                                                         itself that he criticises so strongly. He wants none of this ‘mammoth’ hotel,  a regular, cheap water supply, while also relieving the company
                                                                                                                                                         devoid of all the charm of the Beau-Rivage we know. Mr Bugnion fears   of the cost of maintaining the infrastructures. In the end, the
                                                                                                                                                         that we are allowing ourselves to be ‘agitated’ by the large companies    municipalisation actually improved the water’s purity.  The
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                                                                                                                                                         of Montreux.’                                           typhoid epidemics that recurred throughout the nineteenth
                                                                                                                                                             The strategy of those in favour of technical modernisation,  century had catastrophic repercussions for Lausanne’s image and
                                                                                                                                                         who prioritised the hotel’s internal comfort over its external   for its development as a health resort. After the 1891 epidemic,
                                                                                                                                                         appearance, eventually won  over both  the directors  and the   the Lausanne water company was accused of having neglected
                                                                                                                                                         shareholders.                                           the maintenance of its pipelines. In 1901, the directors of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 sio tried to hush up some new cases, attributed to the water the
                                                                                                                                                         THE QUESTION OF WATER                                   company supplied in the neighbourhood.  In 1904, eleven cases
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                                                                                                                                                             During Beau-Rivage’s first four decades, the technical   were  recorded  at  Château  d’Ouchy  and  five  at  Beau-Rivage,
                                                                                                                                                         aspects of the water supply were a major concern for the hotel’s   resulting in three deaths.
                                                                                                                                                         managers. Before the installation of a municipal water supply in   Water was not only used for drinking, but also for washing
                                                                                                                                                         1901, it was effectively up to them to negotiate a water contract   and for sanitation. The concept of hygiene, which became more
                                                                                                                                                         with Lausanne’s different private companies and to organise its   widespread during the nineteenth century, required the installation
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                                                                                                                                                         conveyance to Beau-Rivage.  By the beginning of the 1880s,  of modern baths and clean, odour-free toilets.  The insufficiency
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                                                                                                                                                         however, the original supply system was showing signs of strain.  of the Beau-Rivage sanitary fittings had already been identified
                                                                                                                                                         The conduit installed between La Sallaz and Ouchy no longer   in 1881: ‘The chairman reminded the board of the appropriateness, not
                                                                                                                                                         provided enough water, and the hotel’s storage tanks, located   to say necessity, of improving the present baths, which are in the basement,
                                                                                                                                                         in the attic, were defective. They were replaced in 1886 by an   gloomy and unpleasant, reached by a completely dark corridor. It would be
                                                                                                                                                         external reservoir built at Croix-d’Ouchy, which made it possible   possible and even quite easy to install a bathroom on each floor by using
                                                                                                                                                         to install a pressure feed.                             the wine waiters’ storerooms […] At the same time, there was a need to
                                                                                                                                                             During the years 1880 and 1890, the managers of     provide a more complete laundry […] the hot water for the laundry could
                                                                                                                                                         Beau-Rivage were caught up in the water war that raged in   probably be used for the bathrooms.’ 33
                                                                                                                                                         Lausanne.  Like other tourist areas, they were worried that the   It was not until 1885, however, that a first bathroom was
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                                                                                                                                                         municipalisation of this service, which was under consideration,  installed on the second floor, and 1886 when a new laundry
                                                                                                                                                         would result in drinking water being supplied from the lake,  was built, equipped with a steam boiler. In 1901, a new kitchen

                                                                                                                                                         < Extracts from an agreement dated 18 September 1867 between the engineer William   The importance of technical innovation and modern comforts as themes in advertising
                                                                                                                                                         Fraisse, acting on behalf of the SIO, and Antoine Gros, hydraulic engineer, for the   during the belle époque can be seen from this advert in Lausanne-Ouchy, Western
                                                                                                                                                         installation and maintenance of a water main to supply Beau-Rivage. As Gros could   Switzerland, a guide published by the Lausanne Development Association in 1899.
                                                                                                                                                         neither read nor write, two witnesses confirmed that the text had been read aloud
                                                                                                                                                         to him and that he had made his mark, in the shape of a cross, instead of a signature.
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