Chaudronneries Pierre Brouhon
THE ABANDONED FACTORY IN BELGIUM
This factory named ‘S.A. des Chaudronneries Pierre Brouhon’ was a welding work in Awans. It made boilers and sheet metal containers. It was abandoned after almost 100 years.
In 1903, the ‘Société Anonyme des Chaudronneries Pierre Brouhon’ was established. During that period, numerous small family-operated foundries emerged across Belgium, especially near coal mines, due to the readily available and steady supply of fuel.
A chaudronnerie is a factory where metal structures are created by cutting, bending and assembling processes. Factories specializing in this type of work are called fab shops in English. In general, Brouhon manufactured pressure boilers, containers and tanks in for the steel industry. During the 1940s, nearly a thousand workers were employed at the factory. However, post-war foreign competition hit the sector hard and, from the 1990s, the lack of customers caused major difficulties for the company. As a result, it was forced to close its doors for good in 2001. When it closed, there were only 50 employees left.
Over time, the site evolved into an industrial park catering to small and medium-sized businesses. While several halls were demolished in the early 2000s, the oldest structure remains standing. On my visit, I discovered numerous blueprints in the desks. The workshop was filled with various instruments. These photographs were taken during my 2016 visit to the deserted factory. Other abandoned factories that work with sheet metal can be found here.
