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L’Usine Extraordinaire: TF Urban /Poujoulat Group at Grand Palais, Paris

Nov 21, 2018

An impressive industrial and urban design installation by Poujoulat Group and TF Urban is installed from 22 November within L’Usine Extraordinaire under the Grand Palais’s cupola

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From the 22nd to the 25th of November, L’Usine Extraordinaire (The Extraordinary Factory) will move to the Grand Palais and invite young and old alike to experience the unique experience of a “life-size factory” in the heart of Paris. On the program: immersive experiences, exchanges with technicians, engineers and workshop managers, discovery of production lines recreated on site, virtual reality, exhibition of monumental machines … and exciting conferences. Poujoulat is a special guest along with TF Urban, one of its affiliates manufacturer and editor of innovative and human-oriented urban furniture. 24 Flaques and a large Circular Bench will be installed under the spectacular cupola of the Grand Palais in Paris. respectively designed by Paris-based Marie-Christine Dorner – also renown for her yearly installation of the Presidential Stands at Place de la Concorde since 1990 until now -, and Brussels-based Lucile Soufflet, who just implemented her new furniture designs “Altopiano” at the Cité Universitaire de Paris (arch. Bruther), hosting French and international academics and researchers.

Under the umbrella of FACE – the Acting Against Exclusion Foundation – L’Usine Extraordinaire (The Extraordinary Factory) aims to re-establish the links between industry and society. This is an unprecedented event to which the Poujoulat group is associated. From 22 to 25 November 2018, in line with its values of sharing, solidarity and involvement, the Poujoulat group will hosto the Extraordinary Factory Foundation to offer a unique experience to the general public for 4 days, under the nave of the Grand Palais.

The exhibition removes the links between the factory and society –an objective of general interest shared by the Poujoulat group. Driven by the digital revolution, the ecological imperative and the global demographic challenge, the industry has mutated: factories are becoming intelligent, waste is being transformed into resources, the economy of reuse is replacing that of possession and waste. Through its ability to deploy innovative technological solutions on a large scale, the industry today represents an opportunity for humanity to meet the essential challenges it faces. In parallel with its technological transformation, the factory has become a veritable laboratory of social innovation, inclusive and meaningful: collaborative work, collective intelligence, mixed teams … The partnership between the Poujoulat group and the Extraordinary Factory Foundation is therefore  in line with this approach of social initiatives to present a modern and visionary industry, more and more virtuous and respectful of the environment. “Our ambition through this co-constructed project is to highlight our know-how and our collaborators. By participating in this event, we want to contribute to fight against the preconceived ideas about the factory and to envy  new generations, women and men from all walks of life, to embark on the great adventure of the industry, ” says Frédéric Coirier, Chairman of the Management Board of Poujoulat Group. Labeled FrenchFab. The event is supported by the Alliance for the Industry of the Future, Bpifrance, Business France and France Industry.

About L’Usine Extraordinaire (The Extraordinary Factory)

Created at the initiative of French industrialists and their sectors, the Usine Extraordinaire Foundation brings together some fifty companies and partners. Sheltered  by FACE – the Foundation Against Exclusion – the foundation is recognized as a public utility. . It aims to bring together a range of stakeholders such as manufacturers who are engaged in responsible production in France, social partners, the world of education and vocational training, researchers and institutional decision-makers. to demonstrate that today’s factory is a modern, connected and inspiring production venue.

About Poujoulat Group

Poujoulat is a leading industrial group with three branches of activity: • Chimneys and metal roof outlets for single family homes, collective housing and industry. • Exhaust systems and freestanding fireplaces for heat and power generation, the environment and industry. • High-performance wood fuels (logs and pellets) for stoves, fireplaces and boilers. Opperating in 10 countries (France, Germany, England, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland, Turkey and China), the Poujoulat group has 11 factories and realizes a turnover of approximately 220 M € and counts 1,500 employees. TF URBAN is an affiliate who are active in the edition of urban furniture for cities and a better living.

L’Usine Extraordinaire will be from 22-25 November at Grand Palais, Paris, France

L'Usine Extraordinaire opened up on 22 November at Grand Palais, Paris
24 white Flaques by Marie-Christine Dorner are set up under Grand Palais's cupola. They use the material and the shape of Poujoulat chimney pipes and are flattened on the surface to become a convivial urban seating
24 Flaques in white designed by Marie-Christine Dorner will be placed under the Grand Palais cupola from 22 until 25 November, ed. TF URBAN/Poujoulat Group
This Circular Bench by the Brussels based designer Lucile Soufflet will be also white painted and shaping the space of the Grand Palais entrance, ed. TF URBAN /Poujoulat Group
Circular Bench designed by Lucile Soufflet for TF URBAN/Poujoulat Group for the Francfurt Station, Germany
Lucile Soufflet redesigned her Circular Bench for a bespoke installation in front of the Porte de Versailles, Paris in close collaboration with Saguez & Partners, ed. TF Urban /Poujoulat Group
Circular Bench in Mulhouse, designed by Lucile Soufflet, ed. TF Urban /Poujoulat Group
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