Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The electric factory the Great Vapor, located in Oyonnax in the Ain, is built in 1905 by architect Auguste Chanard for the Electric Union (ancestor of the EDF). This V-shaped reinforced concrete building, which is open on two levels, houses sixty individual cabins rented by room workers. Each cabin is connected to a central motor by belts, illustrating an innovative work organization for the time. A roof terrace serves as a water reserve, and two wreath basins equipped with washbasins allow the cleaning of celluloid combs.

Designed as a model plant, the plant operates with hydroelectric power supplied by a power plant opened in Saint-Mortier in 1901. Workers, fluters and sanders, buy the electricity needed for their machines. The reinforced concrete, used for beams, columns and frames, shows the technical advances of the era. The factory ceases its traditional activity with the invention of the injection press, after half a century of operation.

Ranked a historic monument in 1988 for its exteriors and registered for its interiors, the factory was bought by the town of Oyonnax in 1967. It has been home from the Museum of the Comb, testifying to local industrial history. Its architecture, combining functionality and innovation, makes it an outstanding example of the industrial heritage of the early 20th century in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

The establishment succeeds a first steam plant dating back to 1865, marking a transition to electrification. The technique of reinforced concrete, implemented by a local concessionaire of François Hennebique, highlights the early adoption of this material in France. The building, owned by the municipality, remains a symbol of industrialization and social innovation in the southern Jura.

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