Usine Tase, Historical textile factory in Vaulx-en-Velin, France
Usine Tase is a U-shaped industrial complex in Vaulx-en-Velin spread across large grounds with three-level buildings constructed using post-and-beam methods, featuring Art Deco elements in the eastern section. The western and southern portions gained historical monument protection in 2011, while the eastern area now serves as modern office space.
The factory was founded in 1924 by the Gillet family and quickly became a center for artificial silk production, employing thousands of workers during its peak years in the 1930s. The complex was designed as a complete factory town, reflecting the industrial expansion and modernization efforts of that era.
The factory was more than just a production site; it included residential neighborhoods, schools, a church, and a sports field that formed a self-contained worker community. Visitors can still see traces of this social infrastructure today, showing how work and daily life were intertwined here.
The site is large and requires time to explore, with the protected western and southern facades being the main areas to see the original architecture. It helps to start with an overview and then gradually move through the different sections of the complex.
The complex notably contained two separate residential areas: the Small City for supervisors and the Large City for workers, clearly showing the social divisions of the time. This spatial separation remains visible in the land layout today and tells a story about hierarchy and class distinctions within the factory community.
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