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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Palais Vaissier, also known as Palais du Congo, was built between 1891 and 1892 in Tourcoing for Victor Vaissier, an industrial soap maker claiming to be "Prince of the Congo". This eclectic castle, designed by architect Édouard Dupire-Rozan, blended Oriental and Indian influences, with a 35 metre glass dome supported by a metal structure signed André Michelin. Its park of 5 hectares spread between Rue de Mouvaux and the canal, evoking an exotic dream in the heart of the industrial region.

Victor Vaissier, born in 1851 in Roubaix, wanted a residence to match his ambitions, leaving his black factory for this sumptuous palace equipped with his own power plant. The building, occupied by the German General Staff in 1914, was offered for sale to the city of Tourcoing in 1923, without success. Rached in 1925 by a show contractor, Mr. Deconinck, it was demolished in 1929 to lot the land.

Despite its disappearance, elements remain: the facades and grids of the entrance pavilions were listed as historical monuments in 1988. The castle inspired works such as Maxence Van der Meersch's novel, and a permanent exhibition dedicated to him at the Musée de la Piscine de Roubaix. In 2015, a temporary reconstruction in cardboard was organized during the Pile festival at the Rendez-vous.

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