Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The TASE factory, founded in 1924 by the Gillet family in Vaulx-en-Velin, was dedicated to the transformation of cellulose into viscose (artificial silk). Located in the Silk Square district, it had a strategic location: cheap agricultural land, access to water, hydroelectric power from the Cusset power plant, and rail service. Its activity was based on a predominantly foreign workforce (73% in 1931), recruited in Central and Mediterranean Europe to compensate for the lack of local workers, reluctant to cope with difficult working conditions.

The factory was located in an autarchic complex including housing, social facilities (dispensary, chapel, stadium) and a home for young workers, the Jeanne d'Arc hotel home. The workers' towns, organized hierarchically, housed up to 3,000 employees. The executives enjoyed villas with gardens, while the workers occupied collective buildings with basic hygiene standards. The demographic impact was great: the population of Vaulx-en-Velin increased from 1,588 in 1921 to 8,124 in 1931, with a high proportion of foreigners.

Originally named Société de Soie Artificiel du Sud-Est (SASE), the factory became Textile Artificiel du Sud-Est (TASE) in 1935 after a trial prohibited the use of the term "silk" for artificial textiles. Specializing in rayon (1925-1975) and polyamides and polyesters (from 1958 onwards), it experienced international competition in the 1970s. Despite modernisation efforts, its productivity was lower than that of European giants (such as AKZO or ICI) and led to its closure in 1980. The site, partially classified as Historic Monument in 2011, has since been rehabilitated into offices and accommodation.

The architecture of the factory, designed by architects Desseux and Alexandre, blended industrial functionalism (sheds, beam-post structure) and Art Deco touches for offices. After its closure, the southern facade was preserved despite initial demolition projects, thanks to a heritage mobilization. Today, the site is home to offices (Technip) and housing, while the water castle, symbol of the textile past, has been preserved. The district of the Silk Square, energized by the extension of the Lyon metro, perpetuates the industrial memory of the place.

The TASE factory reflects the economic and social changes of the twentieth century: massive immigration, difficult working conditions, and the decline of the textile industry in the face of globalization. His history is documented in books like And they danced on Sundays (Paola Pigani, 2021) and geographical studies (Louis Chabert, 1982). The site, labeled Heritage of the 20th century, remains a major testimony of the Rhônalpin industrial heritage.

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