Page 89 - Livre Beau Rivage Palace

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
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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