18th century 140,000 sq. ft French chateau bulldozed by mistake.

5 Dec 2012

PARIS (AP) — Residents of a sleepy French village in Bordeaux have been left dumbfounded after discovering their local 18th-century chateau was completely bulldozed "by mistake."

The mayor's office in Yvrac said Wednesday that workers who were hired to renovate the grand 13,000-square-meter (140,000-square-foot) manor and raze a small building on the same estate in southwest France mixed them up.

"The Chateau de Bellevue was Yvrac's pride and joy," said former owner Juliette Marmie. "The whole village is in shock. How can this construction firm make such a mistake?"
Local media reported that the construction company misunderstood the renovation plans of the current owner, Russian businessman Dmitry Stroskin, to clean up the manor and restore it to its former baroque glory.

Stroskin was away when the calamity occurred and returned home to discover his chateau, a local treasure boasting a grand hall that could host some 200 people, as well as a sweeping stone staircase — was nothing but rubble.

"I'm in shock ...I understand the turmoil of the community," local media quoted Stroskin as saying.

He told them he plans to build an exact replica of lost manor on the site.

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I smell a lawsuit. What a shame.

When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. Socrates

5 Dec 2012

What a real shame a beautiful building was destroyed but looking on the brighter side it was 18th century. Maybe if the new house is built to the same standard using modern techniques it may well last even longer than the old one and not need to get to the point of re-renovation?

6 Dec 2012

Quote by kyliekained
What a real shame a beautiful building was destroyed but looking on the brighter side it was 18th century. Maybe if the new house is built to the same standard using modern techniques it may well last even longer than the old one and not need to get to the point of re-renovation?

I think the fact that is was NOT made using modern techniques is the only reason it's still standing. That building was more than 260 years old, of course it's going to need some renovation from time to time.

What a loss.

6 Dec 2012

that sucks.

6 Dec 2012

Something about this "Mistake" doesnt sound right to me. You would think a landmark building like this would be watched over and if they did start to demolish it "by mistake", the "mistake" would have been caught before they got very far.

6 Dec 2012

Pity it wasn't buck house.

10 Dec 2012

Such a pity - what a loss.

8 Jan 2013

Quote by kyliekained
What a real shame a beautiful building was destroyed but looking on the brighter side it was 18th century. Maybe if the new house is built to the same standard using modern techniques it may well last even longer than the old one and not need to get to the point of re-renovation?

To paraphrase your words: Let's knock down the Empire State Building, after all, it's already 100 years old and maybe the new one could laste even longer...

Kyliekained, that 18th Century building was old as Monticello or Mount Vernon!
Would you knock down George Washington's ancient recidence and "rebuild it with modern standards"? Thomas Jefferson's ?

What is your point ?

What are your standards ?

Do you have any at all ?

Nutbag

8 Jan 2013

The good folk of Yvrac (all 2,500 of them) are not amused—and some suspect the Keystone Cops-like construction excuse is cover for the intentional demolition of the 140,000 square-foot mansion, a move that local authorities never would have permitted. Destroying the existing structure to build a new, modern replacement would cost far less than restoring the original—and suspicious locals note the curious inquiries about the depth of the chateau’s foundations that builders made while applying for a structural modification permit.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/12/07/french-chateau-demolished-by-mistake-during-renovation/#ixzz2HPKKcE8X

I smell a skunk. The article in Time also said that he's beginning the new building with the same company that made the "mistake".
Btw, it was a Polish company. Man you can almost hear the jokes starting on late night talk shows now.