Charles-Frédéric Mewès [commonly known as Charles Mewès] was born in Strasbourg, Alsace, France on 30 January 1858 and moved with his family to Paris in 1870. He trained as an architect in the Atlier of Jean-Louis Pascal (1837-1920) and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He subsequently established an international architectural practice with offices in Paris, London, Cologne, and elsewhere. He specialised in the design and refurbishment of hotels, restaurants, clubs, and large private houses. He also designed the interiors of several ocean liners.
In 1900 he formed Mewès & Davis, a partnership with the British architect Arthur Joseph Davis (1878-1951), who had previously worked with him as his assistant. Mewès was also in partnership with Alfons Bischoff (1873-1932) in the Cologne-based architectural firm Mewès & Bischoff while in partnership with Davis. Mewès died in Paris on 9 August 1914
Notable works by Mewès and his practises included the Hôtel Ritz Paris at 15 Place Vendôme, Paris (1897-98); the Carlton Hotel in London (1899-1901); the refurbishment of Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire for Sir Julius Wernher (1903-05); the construction and decoration of the London Ritz Hotel (1903-06); interiors of the SS Amerika (1905–06); Cavalry Club, Piccadilly, London (1908); Inveresk House for the Morning Post on the Strand, London (1908); Automobile Club, St. James's, London (1908-11); Hotel Ritz Madrid, with Luis de Landecho (1852-1941) (1910); interiors of the SS Imperator (1913); interiors of the SS Vaterland and SS Aquitania (1914); the Cunard Building at the Pier Head, Liverpool, in collaboration with B. M. Morris of Morris & Connor and Willink & Dod (1914-17); and branches of the London County & Westminster Bank in Brussels, Nantes and Antwerp.
Binney, Marcus. ‘The Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall’. [Architects: Mewes & Davis]. Country Life vol. 198, no. 26, 24 June 2004 pp. 118-123.
Birchall, Katy. ‘Putting on the Ritz’. [Ritz, London. Architects: Mewes & Davis]. Country Life vol. 210, no. 27, 6 July 2016 pp. 112-116.
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Gray, A. Stuart. Edwardian architecture: a biographical dictionary. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 1985
‘Obituary'. The Builder 14 August 1914 p. 184
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 21, 29 August 1914 pp. 652-653