Charlie Chaplin is larger than life thanks to Vevey’s ambitious project to paint him and his work as a filmmaker onto two 14-storey apartment buildings. The first of what will be two of the largest frescoes in Switzerland was officially inaugurated last month, but Vevey residents have been watching the paint job and more for several months.
Chaplin lived the last 25 years of his life at the nearby Manoir de Ban, in Corsier-sur-Vevey. The town of Vevey’s lakefront statue of Charlie Chaplin on the quay Perdonnet is said to be one of the most photographed spots in the Lake Geneva region.
When a resident of one of the apartment buildings suggested adding monotone Chaplin frescoes to the buildings, the city was delighted, says mayor Laurent Balliff.
It took four mural painters, one ton of paint, 80 brushes, 100 paint rollers and 80 rolls of masking tape to do the job.
The mural is 42 meters high, extending over 14 floors and 800 square metres, becoming the largest in Europe, according to Backpacker Mag, was created by Franck Bouroullec and City Design, and depicts scenes from his famous films.
The nearby museum, Chaplin’s World, is expected to open in 2012 and will be installed in Chaplin’s former home, in Manoir de Ban.