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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The Dubar and Dekien races, located in Roubaix, are an exceptional testimony of the workers' habitation linked to the industrialization of the 19th century. These sets of adjoining houses, typical of the region, were built to house a growing local and foreign labour force, particularly in the textile sector. Their architecture reflects two distinct periods: rural houses of the 1840s, known as otil, and more recent houses, dating from around 1880.

Originally independent, these two runs consist of two rows of houses separated by a strip of land. Their provision illustrates an economic solution to meet growing housing needs, in a context of rapid population and industrial growth. Today, they are one of the few intact examples of this type of habitat, essential for understanding the social and economic history of Roubaix.

The Dubar and Dekien raceways were partially protected in 1998, with the inclusion of their facades, roofs and barracks in the inventory of Historic Monuments. Their preservation preserves the memory of a modest but emblematic architectural heritage, linked to the development of the industrial revolution and the daily life of the workers of the North of France.

Their location, between rue Jean-Moulin and rue Chanzy, as well as their proximity to boulevard du Général de Gaulle, makes it an accessible site, although their state of conservation and their openness to the public remain little documented. These races recall the importance of collective habitats in the urban organization of industrial cities, where space was optimized to meet the economic imperatives of the time.

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