Knowledge Center for Innovation in Saint-Étienne / K architectures

This building is one of the main wings of the former Saint-Etienne arms factory. This industrial estate was built in 1864. It covers an area of twelve hectares to the north of the city centre. Designed in the spirit of the rationalist architecture of the 18th century, such as Claude Nicolas Ledoux’s saltworks or the Grand-Hornu near Mons, the factory is an industrial and military «palace» composed of white stone and red brick. It embodies the aesthetic ideal of an era intoxicated by the fortunes generated by the industrial revolution.