You are looking for a new unusual place to visit near Paris? Head to La Courneuve, in the old Babcock factories. Abandoned since the early 2010s, this former economic hub of the Seine-Saint-Denis city is patiently waiting to be rehabilitated into a new "Cultural Factory". In the meantime, graffiti artists Zkor, Sto, and Namaste have transformed the space into a huge museum dedicated to street art.
In total, more than 130 artists have been invited to cover the walls with their artwork. Initially, this project was somewhat clandestine, but now the artists have partnered with the city of La Courneuve to offer guided tours of their extraordinary playground: La Babcockerie. La Babcockerie is a historic place in La Courneuve. In 1898, the French branch of Babcock & Wilcox, specializing in the manufacture of industrial boilers, settled in La Courneuve. They occupied the buildings of the Société des fonderies et ateliers: a remarkable 4-hectare structure with a typical modernist architecture, including its 15-meter-high vaulted halls. Throughout the 20th century, these factories were the economic heart of the city and are now part of its heritage.cultural heritage.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
See this post on InstagramIf the northern part of the site has already undergone significant redevelopment with the establishment of the Bank of France in 2017, the southern part still awaits rehabilitation. Although no official date has been announced, the Babcock site is set to host a new neighborhood project spanning 51,857 square meters, called "La Fabrique des Cultures", which will include 252 housing units and infrastructure.Around culture and creation, as part of the Grand Paris project. In the meantime, a cultural program is offered there until 2023. A clandestine museum of street art Since 2020, many graffiti artists and other artists of all kinds have rushed to leave their mark in the heart of the former Babcock factories. Now invaded by lettering, stained glass, drawings, and installations made from objects found on site, the Babcockerie is a real clandestine museum of street art, where performances, dances, and songs follow one another. For example, you can see the work of artist Olivier Ratsi, or Sowat.
Voir cette publication sur InstagramFor the most interested, guided tours are also offered to the public in the company of Thomasine Zoler, an art historian specializing in contemporary and urban art, and Meuh, a street artist and creator of the "Beirut Graffiti Tour" in 2015, the first street art tour in Lebanon. An experience to discover as soon as possible, before the building's rehabilitation!
La Babcockerie
Rue des usines Babcock – La Courneuve
RER B La Courneuve-Aubervilliers
Instagram : @lababcockerie
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