Saint-Étienne does not only have a rich industrial past but an exciting cultural present.
Better still it has managed to combine the two in a number of daring, ingenious and aesthetically challenging ways. A magnificent example of this is the Museum of Art and Industry with its unique collection of elaborate weaponry, unusual bicycles and braided ribbons.

In 1987 the town opened its now internationally renowned Modern Art Gallery (80 000 visitors per year), which houses a collection of contemporary art, second only to the Georges Pompidou centre in Paris. With paintings, sculptures and visual installations, the museum is home to over 10 000 works of art (Dubuffet, Soulages, Viallat, Klein, Warhol, Buren, etc.), which are constantly added to, thanks to the active acquisitions policy of the museum’s directors. In addition to this ever-increasing collection is a unique 600-piece exhibition of French industrial design (Eames, Le Corbusier, Prouvé, Perriand and many others).

In fact, Saint-Étienne is home to French industrial design and has been since its potential was recognised at the beginning of the 19th century. It is not by accident that Le Corbusier chose the Saint-Étienne region to construct the most complete example of his architectural genius. At Firminy (approximately 15 kilometres outside the town) stands a residence, a cultural centre, a sports stadium and a church all designed by this talented town planner.

This design heritage was the impetus behind the creation, in 1998, of the biennial International festival of design, which was an immediate success (150 000 visitors in 2004). For ten days every other year, the town’s exhibition park is filled with design objects from all over the globe (from the worlds of fashion, consumer goods and urban innovation) giving the visiting public a remarkable overview of the diversity of creation in the sector.
The success of the festival has prompted the town to put together a permanent exhibition which is scheduled to open in 2005.
The International Centre for Design (CID) will be located in the centre of town on the derelict site of a now defunct arms manufacture.
The CID will not be “just another design centre” but a highly innovative concept bringing together science, technology and industry. Casting a wide net over artistic creation, innovation and technological transfer, education and forecasting of future product development, the centre will be a genuine ideas laboratory, promoting a constant interaction between culture, research and economics.
One particular project is a programme of economic development the aim of which is to raise the profile of design in business and to increase interaction between local, national and international players. One thing is certain, design is one of the major influences behind modernity, driving innovation and defining tomorrow’s lifestyle choices.

Begun in 1995, the restoration and renovation of the town’s historic monuments and buildings have rejuvenated Saint-Étienne’s town centre. This redevelopment programme was so well received that the town was awarded a national prize for urban redevelopment in 1999. Ricardo Bofill, the Catalan architect responsible for this transformation, chose to concentrate his efforts on many of Saint-Étienne’s seventy-two bustling market squares (place Jean-Jaurès, Jean-Moulin, de l’Hôtel-de-ville, Bellevue, Grenette, to name but a few.), around which much of the day-to-day life of the town takes place.
The cobbled pedestrian streets around the rue des Martyrs-de-Vingré, with their eclectic collection of boutiques, bars, restaurants and pubs, really come alive after dark. Unsurprisingly, this hive of nocturnal activity is the number one night time destination of ENSM.SE students (22% of Saint-Étienne’s population is under 20).
Some of the students’ favourite venues include: the Piccadilly Circus, known as “the Pica”, where wooden tables and original interior compete with the very popular terrace cafes during the long summer evenings. With no neon sign (just a discrete doorbell) the Loco Mosquito is fairly difficult to find. However, the atmosphere inside this transformed first floor apartment is buzzing and the cocktails varied. As its name implies, the Bodeguita de la Salsa has a hot “Latin” ambience, particularly on a Friday night (concert night) or at one of the Salsa evenings (free introduction to Salsa dancing). Other favourite haunts include the First (karaoke), the very British “Smoking Dog” or the Irish “Saint Patrick”.

The town also boasts numerous cafe-theatres, which play host to newly created theatre companies and celebrate the creative independence of Saint-Étienne. This creativity has become somewhat of a tradition in the town, masterminded by the celebrated local actor Jean Dasté in the 1950s. Some of the most exciting venues include the Théâtre de Poche (specialising in interactive plays staged by the LISA, amateur improvisation league), and the Cafuron (comedy sketches).

On a larger scale, the town also possesses theatres and concert halls of national and international renown. Major music and dance productions are staged at “L’Esplanade”, which was initiated by André Malraux (20th century French writer and Minister of Culture) and offers a complete and varied series of productions, notably a lyrical season and high-calibre ballet programme. With its “salle à l’italienne” (Italian room) and audience capacity of up to 1 400, L’Esplande welcomes around 200 000 spectators annually. The “Centre dramatique national” (national dramatic arts centre) was opened in 1947 and was the brainchild of Jean Dasté who throughout his life worked ceaselessly for the cause of quality provincial theatre. With annual audience numbers of over 150 000, the company performs productions (some 40 per year) both in France and abroad.