Object/Work Type
Exhibition Kiosks

Title Text
Martell Cognac Kiosk

Alternate Title Text
J. & F. Martell - Cognac

Creation Date
1910-11

Descriptive Note Text

This kiosk was devoted to Martell, a cognac house founded in 1715 by Jean Martell, a merchant who began his trading business at Gatebourse in Cognac. Martell used grapes from the vineyards in the Borderie region for his eaux-de-vie. They Martell family developed a successful export business, and by 1814 Martell was the most purchased brandy in England. 

Designed by Ernest Billecocq, the Martell Cognac kiosk was located in the gardens of the French section, next to the Moët et Chandon kiosk. In its eclectic design, the kiosk featured a chapel, with corner turrets and a Romanesque porch. The bell tower was comprised of an elongated cone, described as "most unexpectedly picturesque" by contemporary interpreters (Les Français a Turin en 1911, p. 130).

It was listed as number 14 in the Plan Officiel de la Section Française.

Code in the 1911 Map
110 Sim a (14 French Map)

Related Protagonists

• Billecocq, Ernest Marie Alexis

Related Secondary Sources

• Cuneo, Cristina. “Gli spazi per la ristorazione, il loisir borghese e lo svago nelle Esposizioni torinesi (1805-1911)”, In Storia dell'urbanistica. Il segno delle esposizioni nazionali e internazionali nella memoria storica delle città : padiglioni alimentari e segni urbani permanenti, edited by Aldini, S., Benocci, C., Ricci, S., Sessa, E., 61-77. Rome: Edizioni Kappa, 2015