Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former Confolens slaughterhouse, built between 1923 and 1926 by architect Roger Baleix and engineer Moneger, forms a complex organized around a rectangular plot. The central building, surrounded by auxiliary structures (sceptic base, bouverie, warehouse, reservoir, caretaker housing), combines traditional techniques and concrete innovations, especially for cornices, porches, bays and frames. This mixture reflects an architectural transition marked by the increasing industrialization of the inter-war period.

In the 1960s, the slaughterhouse ceased its initial activities to become an industrial dairy, before being converted into municipal workshops for the technical services of the city. This functional adaptation reflects the ability of public infrastructure to evolve according to local economic needs. Only the facades and roofs of the workshop hall (cadastre AL 136) have been protected since 2002, highlighting their heritage value despite the transformation of the site.

The construction uses hybrid materials: concrete, used for structural and decorative elements (denticles, entablatment), borders traditional methods for walls and covers. This technical choice, bold for the time, met the hygiene and sustainability requirements of slaughterhouses, while integrating aesthetic concerns. The site, now communal property, thus preserves a tangible trace of the urban and industrial changes of the 20th century in Poitou-Charentes.

The approximate address, 41 Avenue Gambetta in Confolens, and its Insee code (16106) are located in the Charente department, New Aquitaine. Although the GPS location is considered satisfactory (note 7/10), the monument remains unknown despite its partial inscription under the title of Historic Monuments. Available photographs, such as Rosier's Creative Commons license, document its current state and integration into the urban landscape.

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