Usine C, Theatre building in Montréal, Canada
Usine C is a performance venue housed in a former factory in Montréal's Centre-Sud area. The building keeps its rough concrete walls, steel beams, and a tall chimney, while inside there are two flexible performance rooms, a rehearsal studio, an exhibition hall, and a café.
The structure was built in 1913 for a fruit jam factory and later used for other manufacturing until production stopped in the 1970s. A group led by Gilles Maheu and Danièle de Fontenay transformed it into its current use, opening doors as a cultural space in 1995.
The venue has become a gathering point for artists working in theatre, dance, music, and media arts, with a focus on works that mix different forms. Visitors often notice how the industrial textures of the old factory serve as a backdrop for contemporary performances and installations.
The main entrance leads into a large, open lobby that makes it easy to get oriented before a show. Some parts of the building are not fully accessible to all visitors, so it helps to ask staff about the best route once you arrive.
A small park just south of the building holds a plaque that remembers the original factory company, Alphonse Raymond Limited. This quiet marker is easy to miss but links the performance space directly to its industrial beginnings.
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