REVIT Heritage Report.pdf

Torfaen County Borough Council
REVIT: A Review of the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Assets on Brownfield Sites
• a mixed area of residential and tertiary industries dating from the Seventies
in the east (Beaulieu);
4.4.9 In particular the industrial-harbour area of Prairie au Duc in the northwest of
the island retains some industrial activities from 19th and 20th centuries and is
rich in industrial heritage. The decline of the area since the 1980s has opened
up the potential for its urban re-development.
4.4.10 The main arteries of the island are the Boulevard Prairie au Duc, which was
created in 1883 as a main east-west road, with the rue Alain-Barbe Torte and
rue Arthur III, forming the north-south routes. A third north-south road in the
east linked the shipyards and railway station.
Industrial Features
4.4.11 La Gare de l’Etat (State Railway Station) on the Boulevard de la Prairie au Duc
was a 19th century regional railway station which was converted in the first
stages of the project. The building became redundant in 1994 and was
completely refurbished and extended by the addition of two new wings,
providing 9,000 m 2 of floorspace. The building has now become the
headquarters of the Shipbuilding Trade Union and has attracted further
occupants to the area, including boat-building and boat repair businesses.
4.4.12 Les Manufacture des Tabacs on the Boulevard de Stalingrad, was constructed
in 1857 and closed in 1974. The building was refurbished by Nantes in 1983
and re-modelled to respect the building’s historic function and structure. The
factory has become as focal point for municipal functions with a crèche, a
health and social security centre, a nursery, library, gym and restaurant, the
housing association and youth hostels.
4.4.13 Enterprise Guillouard, 15 Boulevard des Martyrs Nantais des la Resistance
was a building was constructed in 1910 for the manufacture of household
goods. It originally covered 35,000m 2 and continues in use today, covering
approximately 10,000m 2 .
4.4.14 In the Prairie au Duc district, where companies such as Axima and Alstom are
already present, a mixed development is proposed with offices along the front
of the boulevard. The Alstom site, which forms part of the Atlantic Shipyards,
contains a number of apparently dilapidated industrial buildings which were
found to be in good order and already occupied by businesses.
4.4.15 The regeneration of the site will retain the industrial features of the site with
additional space created in the converted workshops for television companies
and an architectural school. In addition, new construction will include
waterfront apartments and a biotechnology park. The site will accommodate
approximately 35,000 m 2 of floorspace.
4.4.16 Les Foundaries de l’ Atlantique site (Atlantic Foundries) dates back to 1907-8.
The foundry specialised in the fabrication of valves and fittings. In 1918 it
became known as the Nantes Foundries and specialised in the production of
propellers until the 1980s. The site consists of:
• a large workshop of 1921, in a poor condition with little possibility of
restoration;
• a workshop of 1937; and
• a workshop dating from 1952.
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