Manufacture de velours et coton Cosserat, Industrial textile manufactory in Amiens, France
The Cosserat manufactory is a textile weaving facility in Amiens located between the Somme and Selle rivers, composed of multiple interconnected buildings. The machine room stands out for its distinctive red and white brick construction, with the factory name inscribed on the walls.
Production began here in 1794, and by the mid-1800s mechanical looms from England were introduced to modernize the manufacturing process. This shift to mechanized weaving transformed how people worked and made the site a major center of textile production in northern France.
This site was a center of community life for workers and their families who spent their days here and formed deep bonds through shared labor. The place shows how industrial production became woven into local identity and how people's daily rhythms were shaped by the factory.
The site is accessible from several directions, with the machine room serving as the main focus for visitors interested in seeing the looms and industrial architecture. Comfortable footwear is recommended as the buildings span different levels and interconnected spaces.
The machine room was informally called the cathedral by workers, a poetic name reflecting both its vast scale and its spiritual importance to daily labor. This nickname shows how deeply people internalized the industrial space as part of their own identity and community.
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