Le Garage Moderne

Le Garage Moderne is an old factory building of the 19th century situated in the heart of the Bacalan neighbourhood, former industrial and port area of Bordeaux now under drastic regeneration process into residence and cultural production. GM started as a citizen initiative, where people could repair their cars but consequently developed into a vibrant social center providing support for disadvantaged people, space for cultural production and community organising.

The Garage Moderne, located in Bordeaux’s Bacalan area, is a unique meeting and exchange space. You may fix your car or bike there, have lunch, get a drink during a play or concert and practise reuse and DIY. It is a community-focused space that encourages civic involvement and hosts cultural and solidarity events.

The project began in a privately owned facility that served as a communal workshop for vehicle maintenance. The location evolved into a community centre with bike repair, artist studio, and community canteen, playing an essential role in the local community. To preserve the Garage’s experience, the municipality purchased the site and granted a concession to the group that uses it as part of their area revitalisation efforts. They bear full responsibility for regeneration, but as a private company, they lack sufficient financial resources and must rely on several sources of support, including public funds.

Currently, the Garage is temporarily relocated to another large industrial area in the neighbourhood that has been turned to cultural production, while work to rejuvenate the building continues. The collective was able to keep operations in the old building continuing, with a temporary structure still in use for some functions while the construction is taking place. Tesserae, through the Oasis project, contributed to the collaborative planning of the future place.