Tag: napolean iii

Categories
Architects Architecture Art Country Houses Design Developers Hotels Luxury People Restaurants Town Houses

Hôtel du Palais + La Rotunde Restaurant Biarritz

If You Know You Know

It’s the best address in town: One Avenue de l’Impératrice. Well, if it was good enough for Romy Schneider (performing in Tournage de La Banquiere 1980); Ernest Hemingway (Il passe l’ete 1959 a sillonner l’Espagne a bord de sa vielle Lancia suivant l’itineraire tauromachique du Mano à Mano de Luis Miguel Dominguin et d’Antonio Ordonex, preparant ainsi un livre sur la rivalite des deux plus grands Matadors de l’epoque. Sur la route, venant du Havre, Hemingway et sa femme Mary s’arreterent a Biarritz a L’Hôtel du Palais), Wallis Duchess of Windsor and Edward Duke of Windsor (inauguration of Biarritz Polo Grounds 1951) …

Dame Rosalind Savill, the relaunching Director of The Wallace Collection London, once quipped, “I hate the term ‘hidden gem’!” Hôtel du Palais, by anyone’s standards, isn’t a hidden gem. It’s the crown on the coast. The tiara atop the hill. Hidden gem, low key, undiscovered: none of these descriptions have ever been used for the finest hotel in Basque Country. The names of the salons of Hôtel du Palais recall its royal connections: Alphonse XIII, Edouard VII, Impérial, Mathilde. Second Empire style prevails throughout the hectarage of splendour.

A timber marquetry surfboard in the entrance hall crafted by artist Joël Roux is a reminder Biarritz is the capital of European surf. A hand painted surfboard in La Rotunde restaurant depicting the Emperor and Empress suggests deep down they really wanted to do more than fight wars and build palaces. Of course, they were dreaming of riding the waves fantastic.

The homogeneity of the architecture is deceiving, especially when viewed through a blaze of buddlejas. The current giant number three footprint is the outcome of several distinct building sprees. Architect Hippolyte Durand was appointed in 1854 to design a villa for the Empress Eugénie. Some things don’t change in the development industry: he was sacked the following year and replaced by the 27 year old Louis-Auguste Couvrechef. Three years later, Louis-Auguste died and was succeeded by Gabriel-Auguste Anclete. At least a few architects were kept employed. It’s still the best example of Louis the Hooey on the Bay of Biscay, new extensions included.

The words of Min Hogg, Founding Editor of The World of Interiors, echo across the marble halls, “Beautiful décor will always be one of life’s greatest pleasures.” She invented the phrase “shabby chic”. Hôtel du Palais is incroyablement chic.

Breakfast at the top table – centrally positioned in the vast semicircle that is La Rotunde to watch the crashing splashing arc of Atlantic – makes life worth living. Service à la Russe and buffet cater for the best of both worlds. Local delicacies include Gâteau Basque à la Cerise and Gâteau Basque à la Crème as well as Ossau Iraty and Bleu des Basques cheeses. A rainbow of juices covers apple, kiwi and spinach; apple, lemon and charcoal; lemon, carrot and orange. Eggs are easy like Friday mornings.

Later, Chef Christopher Scheller will share some epicurean seafood tips: “I love caviar particularly from Aquitaine, the world’s only caviar with Protected Geographical Indication status. We enjoy it Russian style in its purest form or served with ultra fresh peas for a subtle interplay between richness and vegetable sweetness.” He continues, “I’d heard of Banka trout by name but I only really discovered it when I arrived in the region. We cook it in various ways: home smoked in our own smokehouse, confit in fennel infused oil or simply seared on the plancha.” And, “We serve oysters from my friend Joël Dupuch. They can be enjoyed plain during our brunches or lightly grilled over charcoal at our garden parties, simply seasoned with a pinch of crushed Sarawak pepper. A real explosion of flavour.”

Much later, Christopher will share some epicurean vegetable tips: “Courgette flowers are true seasonal delights. We treat them like sweets. Raw and garnished with a delicate spider crab meat in the fining dining restaurant or as tempura in summer, to be savoured overlooking the ocean by the Sunset Pool.” He continues, “I discovered Les Cressonnières d’Aquitaine during my local research. I like to use their watercress in a fine hot cream to accompany scallops or serve it raw in a salad to add a touch of freshness to devilled eggs.” And, “White asparagus is this region’s signature produce. We prepare these Queens of the Sands in every possible way: poached and served with a citrus infused mousseline or pan seared and lightly caramelised with honey.”

Hôtel du Palais Biarritz: fit for an empress. Always.

Categories
Architects Architecture Design Developers Hotels Luxury People Restaurants Town Houses

Dunes Blanches + Résidence Victoria Surf + Churches + Villas Biarritz

Whatsoever Things

Destination discovered. That elusive locus of sassitude: Biarritz. We’re lounging outside a café enjoying coffee and the view, our Anglo Catholic work ethic dissipating in the heat. At the table next to us is elegance personified: think Sybil Connolly meets Catherine Denueve. She sends her male companion off and he returns with a box of Dunes Blanches, France’s finest pastries. For us. We’re seeing la vie en plage through sepia tinted glasses. All the vintage glamour of a Lana del Ray music video.

Javier Amézaga and Borja Peñeñori Alfonso write in Big Wave Basque Country (2024), “Coves, bays, cliffs, reefs, beaches, estuaries … in just a few kilometres, the Basque Coast offers a wide spectrum of all kinds of sea beds where you can surf when the biggest swells arrive.” Multiple metres of the white stuff roar and rise towards the golden strand of Biarritz. Nowhere in Britain is 120 kilometres from the coast: nowhere in Biarritz is 120 metres from the coast. Circa.

Putting the ritz into downtown Biarritz, one pub has a sign “Nos Champagnes” outside, listing Bollinger, Bruno Paillard, Dom Pérignon, Henri Giraud, Jacquesson, Krug, Veuve Cliquot. Casual. A two metre tall Hermés sign stands on a rooftop. Everything sounds so much classier in French: check out an estate agents called Une Villa et des Vignes. Not so in English: Banana Moon, Fancy and Oh My Cream don’t convey the same class.

A wine bar goes next level retail nomenclature. L’Art Dit Vin La Cave means Art Says Wine while suggesting it really should be Art is Wine. “Dit” sounds like “de”, the word “of”. The French love puns and this is one such jeu de mots. It’s also a play on the name of the well known chain L’Art de Vin. The roof terrace of Roc Seven Hotel, Veuve Cliquot Sun Club, does what it says on the umbrella awning.

Paris has Montparnasse Tower. Biarritz has Résidence Victoria Surf. The French capital’s tallest and most controversial skyscraper is about to get a £520 million makeover. Former Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s dramatic departing gesture was to secure the funding and commission architectural consortium Nouvelle AOM to get cracking on with cloaking the carapace and propping a greenhouse on top of the 59th floor restaurant.As far as we know, no such plans are in place for the Brutalist Résidence Victoria Surf, the largest and most prominently positioned apartment block in this town. The 350 apartments may have wonderful views but the view of Louis Arretche’s 1970s pyramidal architectural feat is not universally appreciated. Its Art Deco and half timbered farmhouse style neighbours are softer on the eye of the populace.A sign outside the red brick Imperial Chapel states: “This chapel was once located in the landscaped park of the Palais de Biarritz, the seaside retreat of the imperial couple. In 1881, during the subdivision of the park, it was fortunately preserved in a verdant setting. Built between 1864 and 1866 according to the wishes of Empress Eugénie, it commemorates French victories in Mexico. Its Romanesque exterior contrasts with a Moorish interior. Dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and designed in the style of Andalusian churches, an architecture Eugénie greatly admired, the Imperial Chapel is a unique and rare monument, emblematic of the era and the Empress’s personal tastes.” Architect Émile Boeswillwald clearly knew his French and Iberian onions.

Uphill stands the stone Russian Orthodox Church of the Protection of the Mother of God and St Alexander of the Neva. A plaque quotes Leviticus 19:18 “Aime ton prochain comme toi meme”. Designed by St Petersburg architect Nikolaï Nikititch Nikonov in collaboration with French architect Oscar Tisnès, the church was consecrated in 1892. Byzantine Revival at its sleekest. The original congregation was holidaying Russian nobility.

The skyline of Biarritz is pierced with pepper pot turrets. Towering over Veuve Cliquot Sun Club, the 1903 Villa Goéland is a jewel in the necklace of mini châteaux strung along the coast. Architect Gaston Ernest at his polychromatic best. Villa Belza is equally prominent and dates from the 1880s onwards. While the original architect was Alphonse Bertrand, its medievalisation was carried out to the design of Dominique Morin. Locution location. Destination covered.

Categories
People Restaurants

Café Le Brébant Paris + Pacha

At Midday Venus Passes

“Earlier that morning Zoé had made the apartment over to a caterer from Brébant’s and his staff of helpers and waiters. Brébant’s would provide the food, the crockery, the glasses, the tablecloth and napkins, the flowers, and everything down to the chairs and footstools.” In between preparing her mistress Nana’s toilette, Zoé knew where to go to get set up for a party. Nana is Émile Zola’s ninth novel in his journalistic 20 volume Les Rougon-Macquart series. It captures the loucheness of society during the reign of Napoléon III. Café Le Brébant had been open 15 years when Nana was published in 1880. The Second French Empire has never truly ended on Boulevard Poissonnière. This is still Paris, the Paris of letters, of pleasure, of romance. Wicker and tassled lightshades hanging midair sway in the gentle summer breeze cooling the terrace of Café Le Brébant. Pacha the resident Maine Coon cat plays and poses and preens herself, blissfully unaware of her role in the street theatre of life. Très Grand Guignol. 

Categories
Architecture Art Design Developers People Restaurants Town Houses

Montmartre Museum + Renoir Garden Paris + Auguste Herbin

Room for Love  

Mees Salomé’s Higher is playing while we enjoy cheesy omelette on the terrace of Le Deli’s on Rue du Mont-Cenis watching the competitive joggers beat the gradient. It’s all about being above and beyonders, top performers, brand champions, role models, best of the best, on the frontline. We’re getting high. A spiritual high. A romantic high. A physical high. A Paris high. Adoring Montmartre. Sleaze (Boulevard de Clichy) turns to class (Rue Cortot) in direct correlation to altitude. So it’s onwards and upwards to the Montmartre Museum which is so much more than its name suggests. The museum is a summit situated collection of spaces set in the shadow of the towering roofscapes of Sacré Coeur and Château d’Eau de Montmartre. One a monument to spiritual health, the other a monument to physical health. This urban composition at the highest topographical point of Paris oozes up at heel bohemian charm.

“Modern Paris exists largely because of one man – Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, otherwise known as Emperor Napoléon III, nephew of the more gifted Napoléon I. It was he who conceived a compact Paris tied together with wide boulevards, and hired the man who made it reality,” explains John Baxter in Montmartre Paris’s Village of Art and Sin (2017). “To create these thoroughfares and the buildings that lined them, the Emperor appointed ‘Baron’ Georges-Eugène Haussmann, a town planner sufficiently far seeing to visualise a modern Paris and ruthless enough to realise it.”

Montmartre, or at least the hill itself, was never quite Hausmannised and developed more organically in picturesque clusters of development. This peak of the 18th Arrondisement was of course the pinnacle of civilisation in the 1920s. “Paris. No word sounded sweeter to me!” the artist Marc Chagall recalled in his 1957 autobiography My Life. Artists Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Maurice Utrillo, Raoul Dufy, Émile Bernard and Suzanne Valadon all worked in the collection of buildings that is now the museum. The former’s garden with its iconic swing and the latter’s studio with its used paintbrushes have both been recreated. The composer Erik Satie lived next door.

The Master Revealed is the current exhibition celebrating the life work of Auguste Herbin (1882 to 1960). Occasionally whacky, always brilliant, this painter embraced all the main art movements of the 20th century. Auguste moved seamlessly between Fauvism, Cubism, Abstract, Post Impressionism, Realism and Musicalism. He was very much a man of his time. Curator Fanny de Lépanau opines, “Given that he produced work for such a long period and of such high quality, it is surprising that Auguste Herbin has never had an exhibition in a Parisian museum.” She laments his undeserved descent into relative obscurity despite a successful career across Europe spanning six decades. Perhaps this exhibition will act as a catalyst to resurrect his reputation and establish his deserved place in the history of 20th century art.

The exhibition illustrates the artist’s versatility and includes portraits, self portraits, still lifes, townscapes, landscapes and even his plastic alphabet. One of the standout townscape works is the intensely mysterious Paysage Nocturne à Lille (1901). Another wintry painting is Toits de Paris Sous la Neige (1902), an atmospheric snowstorm scene captured at eyre level. The standout landscape Paysage Méridional (1924) reveals such a sunny disposition. La Vieux Pont à Bruges (1906) and La Place Maubert (1907) are explosions of vibrant colour. Auguste Herbin believed, “The more abstract art is, the more it expresses personality. The more abstract art is, the more it identifies with a thousand and one personalities.” Nature Morte Aux Feuilles  (1917) does just that.

Categories
Architecture Art Design Hotels Luxury People Restaurants

The Lanesborough Hotel Knightsbridge London + The Garden Room

This Room’s On Fire

We’re back in town and we mean business. Straight off the hot mess express. Owning it. Cutting deals. Not just gadding about. Chop chop. We’re pumped up and pimped up between the plumped up poshness. In a basement next to the bright lights’ busiest roundabout. Sounds glam? It’s The Lanesborough’s Garden Room, darlings. Antiques and antics, busts and bust ups, teas and tiaras.

“A sky full of stars a room full of cigars,” postdebutante Annabel P wistfully murmurs before sinking behind the smoky haze into a Napoléon II club chair. The Garden Room’s impeccable Manager Neil Millington and his team are on it like a Selina Blow bonnet in this exclusive Cuba-on-Thames. “I’m going to keep the table as authentic as possible.” Bolney Estate Bacchus magically appears and reappears. Bad Pollyanna. Bad. And a legacy’s worth of Hoyo de Monterreys. “There are three cuts: punch, straight and V.”

Fresh from VIP seats applauding the thrillingly talented singer Noah Francis Johnson (the late Dodi Fayed’s brother-in-law) bring the (Soho) house down in White City (London not Tel Aviv), we’d glided past a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II en route to The Garden Room. Her painted lips parted: “We are so bemused.” An image of Salisbury’s Wilton House carried our reflection. People do say we’re a pair of oil paintings. “Welcome back!” chime Neil and his cohort each time we re-enter The Garden Room. Standing to attention of course. You can get the staff these days.

“When the party’s over and the lights go on …” sang Noah. This party’s only getting started so keep those lights dim!

Categories
Architects Architecture Luxury People

Palais du Pharo + Marseille

The Phocaen City

Palais du Pharo Marseille © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

Napoleon III’s waterside pad hogs one of the best spots in the city. Marseille’s best dressed palace is now a conference centre for its best dressed delegates. Hector-Martin Lefuel, known for his work at the Louvre, was commissioned in the early 1850s to design a summerhouse fit for an Emperor. Napoleon III never actually stayed in this palace. After his death, Empress Eugénie donated Palais du Pharo to the city. A people’s palace.

Pharo Palace Marseille © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

Marseille Palace Vieux Port © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley