Elbeuf-sur-Seine
Seine-Maritime, Normandy
In the centre of Elbeuf-sur-Seine is an illustration of remarkable conversion work! The former Gasse-et-Canthelou factory was converted into 81 multi-unit housing reviving an entire neighbourhood. © Eddy Termini - © Sylvie Le Trividic
Normandy is known for its green landscapes covered in apple trees and small harbours.A picture postcard.But Normandy is also home to proud, robust industrial lands. In the Seine-Maritime department, Elbeuf-sur-Seine is a former industrial city that offers a fresh look on its heritage. This former textile city received the “Town of Art and History” denomination in recognition for its preservation activities and for the conversion of its industrial heritage. Since 2005, three of its former cloth mills, Charles Houillier, Blin & Blin et Gasse-et-Canthelou, were turned into collective housing. Built in 1840, the latter was bought at the beginning of the 20th century by Émile Gasse and Albert Canthelou, two industrialists who converted it into vast covered workshops in 1918. Now, its conversion into housing is bringing fresh life to this heritage, turning it into a vibrant neighbourhood where Elbeuf inhabitants of all times live together. You will fall in love with it and may even hear the stories of Bonaparte or Victor Hugo as you walk its streets.