Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans

Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans

The Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans was the first real accomplishment of industrial architecture. It was built and designed by Claude Nicolas Ledoux. His idea behind his design was, “Harmony of the surroundings and the symbolic found in the composition of the ensemble was aimed to shape a society that elevates the soul of its people, creating virtue and collective happiness, while maintaining work as the ultimate value at the centre.” Construction started in 1775 during the reign of Louis XVI The complex was active for at least 1200 years (1780-1962).  The complex takes on the shape of a semi circle and was designed in a way to organize work and ultimately the production. The industrial complex includes eleven buildings, five workshops and housing units for workers all organized in a semi circle layout around the House of the Director.

When Claude Nicolas Ledoux was captured and taken prisoner during the revolution, he spent his time envisioning expansion of his industrial, monumental complex. He imagined his expansion creating a perfect new industrial and social era with his semi circle complex at the heart of it. The “Ideal City of Chaux” embodies the idea of communal life joined to industrial urbanism. The semi circle of buildings becomes a full circle and the buildings in the complex are completed by many others. The drawings and documents of these buildings were meant to be published in his treaty of architecture in 1804, but it was only partially completed. 

Approaching the main entrance, one would find that massive doric columns frame a view of the House of the Director, which is the main building in the semi circular complex . What I find very interesting in this building is that Claude Nicolas Ledoux takes the elements used in the factory itself (salt and water) and projects it onto the buildings entrance, giving an approaching person a sense or feeling of what the complex is so reliant on. For example, the “petrified” water fountains on the walls creates a feeling of waters presence while the cavernous halls create an allusion of what a salt mine is actually like.The buildings in the complex itself each have a public facade oriented towards the center of the semi circle, to create a feeling of an actual city prosperous in unity and harmony throughout the industrial complex. In a way, Claude Nicolas Ledoux has already created a small city within his industrial architectural complex. The complex is dependent on the workers who live on site, so it is important to create a friendly working atmosphere throughout all the programatic elements. During this time period salt was also an essential commodity (it was needed for food preservation). Therefore, the workers were dependent on the production as much as the complex was dependent on them. This equilibrium between the complex and its workers could be a key element to carry through the development of  “an ideal city”. The Saltworks remained open and prosperous until it closed in 1790 (just after the French Revolution) it is now a museum and is open to the public. 

“The Ideal City of Chaux by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux (1773-1806).” SOCKS, 9 Feb. 2018, socks-studio.com/2016/11/09/the-ideal-city-of-chaux-by-claude-nicolas-ledoux-1773-1806/.

Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. “From the Great Saltworks of Salins-Les-Bains to the Royal Saltworks of Arc-Et-Senans, the Production of Open-Pan Salt.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, whc.unesco.org/en/list/203.

“Saline Royale D'Arc Et Senans.” Saline Royale D'Arc Et Senans | Architectuul, architectuul.com/architecture/saline-royale-d-arc-et-senans.