Inheritances from the past
To discover Lausanne before Lausanne, go to the district of Vidy where the remains of the port city of Lousonna, which at the time was called a vicus, are located. Note the original forum square, which is not in the centre of the complex, but slightly elevated. We can already see how the uneven topography of the city will influence its urban planning. The basilica is the best preserved building and therefore the one not to be missed. In the Middle Ages, the city experienced a new golden age, as evidenced by its powerful Gothic cathedral, whose western mass with porch and towers, and the stained glass rose can be admired. The Reformed church of St. Martin in Vevey, with its radiating choir, its imposing bell tower and its three-vessel nave, is another fine example of Gothic architecture. The Middle Ages were also the time of fortifications, as witnessed by the Ale Tower in Lausanne with its thick walls and crenellated top. But it is without doubt the palaces and castles that most proudly bear the mark of this glorious Middle Ages. In Lausanne, the Saint-Maire Castle impresses with its brick defensive storey with battlements and merlons, as does the former bishop's palace with the slender silhouette of its tower. But the most beautiful of the castles is of course the legendary Chillon Castle with its double face, on the one hand a medieval fortress pierced with loopholes and machicolations and on the other a princely residence with beautiful gothic windows. This imposing and powerful architecture was followed by the refined lines of the Renaissance, which can be seen in the former Academy of Lausanne with its imposing main body, 50 m long, rising on three levels, or on the Fountain of Justice with its ornamental play of arcades and fluted columns. At the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century, classicism made its appearance in large public buildings, as shown by the town halls of Lausanne and Vevey, and especially the monumental old hospital of Lausanne with its colossal pilasters. At the same time, the "campaigns" or mansions with rural estates developed, which were also adorned with pediments, pilasters and porches with columns. The Campagne de Beaulieu in Lausanne is a fine example.
Eclecticism and modernity
From the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, Lausanne and the Vaud Riviera experienced an incredible urban and architectural effervescence. The now capital of the canton of Vaud went beyond the limits of its medieval belt and extended thanks to two engineering feats: the Grand Pont which, supported by its nineteen arches, is almost 180 m long, and the 56 m long La Barre tunnel, whose semi-circular arches reach a height of 11 m. Between superimposition and concealment, Lausanne once again plays with its complex topography. The arrival of the railway will also transform the urban landscape and turn Lausanne and its Riviera into a major tourist destination, with the stations becoming the new palaces of the industrial era, as shown by the very imposing stations of Lausanne and Montreux adorned with elegant forms in the fine arts style. At the same time, palaces and casinos are emerging as the new castles of the 20th century, alternating between historicizing eclecticism and a more classical beaux-arts style. Lausanne opened the way with its Hôtel Beau-Rivage and its neo-Renaissance décor, later enlarged into the neo-Baroque Beau-Rivage-Palace, then it was the turn of Montreux with its two famous palaces: the Fairmont Palace and the Caux Palace, both works of Eugène Jost, which impress with their powerful façades borrowing numerous "neo" motifs. This historicism can also be found in the castles of the Riviera transformed into private residences, such as the Château des Crêtes in Montreux with its octagonal turret crowned with machicolation, or the Ban manor house in Corsier-sur-Vevey, whose facade is richly decorated with pilasters, cornices and mouldings. Their gardens also proudly bear the mark of this romantic and historicist impulse. But the most famous representatives of this movement are undoubtedly the Château d'Ouchy, which proudly dominates the lake with its neo-Gothic silhouette, and the Palais Rumine with its monumental columns, loggias, campaniles and galleries in the Florentine Renaissance style, both in Lausanne. Commercial and administrative buildings do not escape this eclectic fashion, as you will see at the Place Saint-François in Lausanne with its buildings with reinforced concrete structures allowing more freedom, especially in terms of openness and height. These buildings also bear some Art Nouveau motifs. These features can be seen in the Saint-François shopping galleries in Lausanne, and on the Chauderon bridge with its metal arches embedded in concrete, its monumental stone pylons and its Art Nouveau arabesque lighting. At the same time, the Heimastil, which aims to preserve local customs and traditions in an idealization of rural life, is developing in the bourgeois villas. Carved wood, carved stone, wrought iron, projecting roofs, latticed windows and corbels characterise this style, which nevertheless made a transition towards modernity, particularly in terms of comfort. Paradoxically, it is this same bourgeoisie, fond of traditional values, that will provide fertile ground for modern architecture via the unavoidable villas. In Montreux, don't miss the Villa Karma, entirely redesigned in 1904 by Adolf Loos, with its "naked" aspect, its clean lines and its interior rich in noble materials (wood and marble). In Corseaux, the Villa du Lac, created in 1923 by Le Corbusier, is a masterpiece of functionality. Intended to welcome the architect's parents, the house was designed to offer all the necessary services and comfort within easy reach. Reinforced concrete structure, roof terrace, long south-facing window of 11 m offering a unique panorama of the landscape... the characteristics of the Villa du Lac were later taken up by Le Corbusier in his series of "white villas". In Corseaux, don't miss the house-studio of the painter Italo De Grandi whose rationality and functionality of the volumes recall the style of Le Corbusier. The villa Kenwin in La Tour-de-Peilz with its large bay windows, balconies and roof terrace proudly displays the Bauhaus codes. When it comes to modernism and functionalism, Lausanne is not to be outdone, as two of the city's great emblems prove: the Bel-Air Métropole complex with its tower serving as the city's first skyscraper and Bellerive-Plage with its pure lines and the lightness of its glass and concrete structures. Lausanne is also innovating in terms of urban planning, as demonstrated by the city's very first garden city, the Prélaz city, which follows a gently sloping, stepped plan, providing a shady square in the centre of the housing estate consisting of two buildings and thirty-four semi-detached houses, itself harmoniously integrated into this complex topography typical of Lausanne.
From the post-war period to the present day
The years 1950-1960 were the years of corporate constructions, buildings designed to the glory of the limited partnership. The great exponent of this style was the architect Jean Tschumi, who designed the building of La Vaudoise Assurances with its concrete framework and the play of perspective made possible by its profiled pillars. Sobriety and pure lines inspired by Le Corbusier are found in the administrative building he designed in Vevey for Nestlé. At the same time, Lausanne continues to modify its skyline with high-rise towers that borrow from the codes of the international style, as shown by the Édipresse tower with its entirely glazed curtain wall façade and the Tours Valmont district, whose ground floor on pillars is reminiscent of Le Corbusier's Cités radieuses. In Montreux, the Ivory Tower is shifting towards postmodernism with its architectural vocabulary borrowed from nautical architecture. Fans are advised to visit its show flat! The 1950s and 1960s were also a period conducive to the revival of sacred art, which preserved the codes of religious architecture while exploiting the architectural possibilities of glass and concrete, such as the astonishing Gilamont temple in Vevey with its roof made of concrete veil folded like an origami covering the six identical modules organized around the bell tower, whose façades are made of glass slabs inserted into the concrete, creating a striking kaleidoscopic effect. The 1980s marked a new phase of transformation for Lausanne. Between the rehabilitation of its post-war heritage and daring architectural gestures such as the Ulysse building by Aurelio Galfetti, which multiplies plastic effects thanks to its cylindrical and cubic volumes, Lausanne also acquired new transport infrastructures, such as the Interface Flon station/underground station designed by Bernard Tschumi (son of Jean) in a resolutely deconstructivist style. Around this interface, the Flon district continues its transformation even today, as does the Rôtillon district, which is expanding while retaining its urbanism inherited from the Middle Ages. Finally, lovers of contemporary architecture will not fail to visit the Ecole polytechnique de Lausanne which, since 2010, has become the landmark of the starchitects. Dominique Perrault transformed the former library into an administrative building with facades punctuated with strips of black and coloured enamelled glass, the former mechanical hall into a building enveloped by articulated metal mesh shutters, and designed the Teachnig-Bridge, a bridge building. The famous Lausanne-based firm Richter-Dahl-Rocha created the very airy Swiss Tech Convention Center with its aluminium roof overlooking a completely closed ensemble of bay windows. The Japanese agency SANAA designed the Rolex Learning Center as a porous building that can be entered and exited without even noticing through arches, patios and glass doors, while its undulating roof blends perfectly into the surrounding relief. This is a design that can be found in the Artlab designed by another Japanese, Kengo Kuma. This wooden, steel and glass pavilion, with a slate roof, undulates over nearly 250 m and blends harmoniously into the environment. Finally, another space not to be missed in Lausanne, Platform 10, the new arts district, which hosts superb architectural creations such as the new Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts designed to showcase the works it houses. Quite a programme!
