Usine Tase, Historical textile factory in Vaulx-en-Velin, France
Usine Tase is a U-shaped industrial complex in Vaulx-en-Velin, built using post-and-beam construction over three floors, with Art Deco details visible in the eastern section. The western and southern parts of the complex are protected as a listed monument, while the eastern wing now houses office space.
The factory was founded in 1924 by the Gillet family and soon became one of the largest artificial silk production centers in France. By the 1930s, the complex employed thousands of workers and stood as a symbol of industrial growth in the region.
The factory once came with housing, a church, schools, and a sports field, so workers could spend their whole daily life on the grounds. Traces of this social infrastructure are still visible on the site today.
The site is large, so it helps to allow enough time and start with the protected western and southern facades to see the original architecture at its best. The different sections of the complex look quite different from each other, so walking slowly through the grounds gives a better overall sense of the place.
The grounds were divided into two separate housing areas: the Small City for supervisors and the Large City for workers, each with its own character. This layout is still readable in the land plan today and shows how social rank was written into the physical design of the site.
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