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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The former Louis Lepaoutre weaving, built between 1921 and 1923 in Tourcoing, is a key element of a large textile factory covering more than four hectares. Designed by architect Marcel Forest, a specialist in industrial buildings, this mill incorporates combing, weaving and dyeing, with the exception of washing raw wool. Its red brick facades, enhanced by geometric patterns in white varnished brick, and its four-storey tank tower make it a remarkable example of the industrial architecture of the era. The site, surrounded by a fence wall, also includes worker housing (1923) and a concierge along Industrial Boulevard.

The Louis Lepoutre mill is part of the industrial heritage launched in the mid-19th century by Auguste Lepoutre (1825–1903), founder of the first family factory. In 1971, the site hosts dyeing activities transferred from Roubaix, before finally stopping in the 1980s. Today protected under the Historic Monuments (decree of 21 April 2000), the building houses commercial activities, such as La Blanche Porte. An 188-metre well, dug in 1923, shows increasing water requirements, from 30,000 m3 to 180,000 m3 in 1971.

The weaving workshop, 150 metres long on Colbert Street, is distinguished by its wide metal sill bays and its northwest corner tower, combining staircase and reservoir. The chimney bears the date of construction of the factory, while the facades, decorated with white bricks in geometric motifs, reflect the functional aesthetic and adorned with the manufactures of the North. Ranked among the major industrial sites of the Hauts-de-France, this monument illustrates the textile age of the region, marked by a vertical integration of production processes.

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