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Origin and history

Banlève's wind tunnel is a Eiffel-style scientific facility designed to study air flow and aerodynamic performance. Built in Toulouse on the island of Ramier, it is part of the Institute of Fluid Mechanics. Its realization began in 1936 under the leadership of the Ministry of Air, to meet the needs of military aviation and major Pyrenean hydraulic projects. Inaugurated in 1937, it was initially exposed to open air before being sheltered in 1940 by a building designed by architect René Kieger.

The wind tunnel, 26 metres long and 2.40 metres in diameter, allows testing at a speed of 40 m/s. In particular, it is used for the preparatory studies of the Pyrenean dams and for the field tests for Latécoère. In 1960 Robert Trilhe added extensions (hall of models, hydraulic laboratory). The site, owned by the municipality, was listed as historical monuments in 1997 and labeled "Twentieth Century Heritage". Its architecture combines concrete and brick, with movable shutters and a curved wing façade.

The building, composed of two interlocked cylinders, illustrates an innovative design for the time. The outer cylinder regulates the air inlet, while the inside houses the measuring instruments. The cover, a suspended concrete slab, and the south facade with movable shutters allow testing under controlled conditions. The wind tunnel remains an active scientific tool, bearing witness to the industrial and technical history of Toulouse.

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