Conceived and brought to life by the Italian architect Raffaele Contigiani, Hotel Du Lac was erected between 1970 and 1973 under the direction of the Tunisian government during the presidency of Habib Bourguiba, Tunisia’s inaugural president. This edifice not only serves as a symbol of Tunis city but also holds a revered status among aficionados of Brutalist architecture worldwide.
Distinguished by its sharp angles and a commanding inverted pyramid shape, the deserted hotel stands as a formidable presence in the ville nouvelle area of Tunis. Serving as a contemporary architectural icon of North Africa, with a generous infusion of raw-concrete Brutalism, Hotel Du Lac transcends the typical mold of a 10-floor, 416-room hotel. Its mind-bending and uniquely cantilevered design results in a top floor that’s twice the length of the ground floor, adding to its allure and intrigue.
Rumors
Fans of the Star Wars movie franchise might experience a sense of déjà vu when they glimpse the silhouette of Hotel Du Lac. Interestingly, the first movie in the series, Episode IV – A New Hope, was filmed nearby in Tunisia back in 1976. A remarkable resemblance exists between the extraordinary shape of Hotel Du Lac and the “Sandcrawler,” a colossal mobile fortress featured in the film. Strikingly, the Sandcrawler shares a near-identical shape with the hotel, slowly navigating the sandy dunes of the fictional remote planet “Tatooine” (coincidentally, a nearby area in Tunisia is named “Tataouine”).
Debates among fans persist regarding whether the hotel served as inspiration for the Sandcrawler‘s design. Despite conflicting statements from various crew members who worked on the original Star Wars film from 1975 to 1976, the connection remains a topic of discussion. Regardless of its cinematic ties, aficionados of Brutalist architecture unanimously regard Hotel Du Lac as one of the most significant and coolest examples of Brutalism worldwide.
Unfortunately, Hotel du Lac experienced a decline and ceased operations in the year 2000, eventually falling into a state of abandonment since 2002. In recent years, the hotel changed ownership, being purchased by Libyan investors. By the summer of 2019, several factors, including its prime central location, the rise in tourist numbers, the considerable cost of renovation, and the need to recoup the significant investment, sparked speculation about the potential demolition of Hotel du Lac.
The future of this iconic structure hangs in the balance, symbolizing either a new era for independent Tunisia or serving as one of the last vestiges of the colonial period. Ultimately, the perception of Hotel du Lac’s fate may vary for each observer, reflecting their individual perspectives and interpretations.