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JohannesBaur
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JohannesBauralreadyhadaplan.Hehadafeelingthatthebusinessoftravel
wouldblossomtoundreamed-ofdimensions;thathorse-drawncoacheswouldsoonbe
replacedbythesteamlocomotive,thusconsiderablyshorteningtraveltime,andpeople
woulddiscoverthepleasureofmobility.Furthermore,therewerealreadyseveralguest
housesoperatinginZürichatthattime;however,theconditionstheyprovidedtotrav-
elerswerefarfromconvenientandluxurious.Certainthatguests’expectationswould
soonchange,Baurdecidedtobuildanextravaganthotelthatwouldsetnewstandards.
TheprojectoftheneoclassicbuildingwithitsfaçadeinIonicorderwascreatedin
cooperationwithhisfriend,talentedyoungarchitectDanielPfister.HotelBaurenVille
wasopenedonDecember24,1838,withalavishbanquetthrowninhonorofthis
Johannesputfull-pageadvertisementsinforeignpress.Forinstance,intheGerman
newspaperAugsburgerAllgemeine,heinformedhisprospectiveguests,flVouchingfor
thebestandmostelegantofservice,Iherebytakeuponmyselfthehonorofcordially
invitingalldomesticandforeigntravelersto[theHotelBaur].Iundertaketodo
everythinginmypowertosatisfytheneedsofpersonagesofwhatsoeverrankinmy
enormoussizeandcapacitythatnootherlodgingfacilitycouldcompetewithatthat
time,butalsoduetoitstechnicalinnovations,suchasanelevatorusedfortransporting
mealsuptothehighesthotelfloors.TheBaurenVillecomprisedroomswith140beds,
JohannesBaurhitthebull’s-eye.Hishotelearnedhighacclaimamongguestsfrom
thetopsocialcircleslookingforahighlyintimateplaceforrest.Bauridentifiedtheir
needsperfectlyandtookgreatcaretofulfiltheirwishes,ensuringanexceptionalambi-
ance.Hisestablishmentwasvisitedby,amongothers,GermangeneralFriedrich
WilhelmvonBismarck,theownerofCreditanstaltBankAnselmvonRothschild,
ThesuccessoftheBaurenVilleencouragedhimtomakefurtherboldmoves.
Itturnedoutthatthecityputanotherplotoflandonsale–thistime,itwaslocatedon
theveryshoreofLakeZürich,intheplaceofaformermilitaryport.Withoutasecond
thought,Bauracquireditwiththeintenttoestablishanotherhotelofasimilarclass
there.Thetaskofdesigningthisbuilding,whoseoriginalsizewasreminiscentmoreof
christenedastheBaurauLacstartedreceivingguests.However,citizensofZürichwere
greatlysurprisedthat,incontrasttotheprevailingcustom,thefaçadeofthebuildingwith
sixbalconieswasfacingawayfromthedowntown,andtowardthelakeandthedistant
Alps.NotonlydidBaurwanttoensurethathisguestswouldenjoymagnificentviews
fromroomwindows,butalsoguaranteecompleteprivacytoeveryonewhopreferred
inthecoffinturnedouttobehissignaturestyleappreciatedbythevisitors.Theentire
