Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The printing company Mame came into being in 1796, when Armand Mame set up a family activity in Tours thirty years earlier by his father, Pierre-Charles. In the 19th century, the company was booming: in 1866 it employed 1,500 workers, generated 3.5 million gold francs of turnover, and symbolized the industrial revolution with its 30 steam engines. The factory, located between Rue Royale, Rue des Halles and Rue Néricault-Destouches, dominates the urban landscape, lastingly marking the local cultural heritage.

The First and Second World War hit the site hard. In June 1940, a fire caused by the fighting reduced printing to ashes. Rebuilt near the station, it suffered another disaster in May 1944, when allied bombs destined for the railway node destroyed workshops and stocks. These events mark a turning point, forcing the Mame family to completely rethink its establishment.

In 1950, a new era opened with the construction of a modern 3.5 hectare complex on the banks of the Loire, designed by architect Bernard Zehrfuss, associated with Jean Marconnet. The project incorporates major innovations: a raw concrete structure, 672 self-supporting aluminium sheds (a European first) designed by Jean Prouvé for optimal zenithal lighting, and abstract frescoes by Edgar Pillet adorning the partitions. The administrative tower, with aluminum pavilions on its roof terrace, houses direct offices, including that of Alfred Mame.

This masterpiece of industrial architecture, awarded in 1954 at the Grand Prix de Milan, embodies the Synthesis of Arts movement, merging painting, sculpture and functional design. The workshops, modular and orthogonal, reflect the aesthetic principles of the time, while the prefabricated elements (panels, tubular furniture) emphasize a desire for efficiency and modernity. The site remains operational until the 2000s, despite subsequent extensions partially altering the original layout.

The end of the 20th century marked the industrial decline of the site. In 2010, after a judicial reform, the printing company left Tours permanently, leaving room for a wasteland awaiting conversion. Ranked a historic monument in 2000 for its original part, the former factory was reborn in 2016 as the Cité de la création et de l'innovation, inaugurated by Secretary of State Jean-Vincent Placé. This project is part of a dynamic of urban renewal, transforming an industrial heritage into a contemporary centre dedicated to innovation.

The printing company Mame thus illustrates two centuries of editorial and architectural history, from the 18th century artisanal beginnings to the post-industrial transformation of the 21st century. Its journey reflects economic upheavals, technical audacity (such as the Sheds of Prouvé) and heritage issues, making it a symbol of the resilience and adaptability of the tourism heritage.

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