Architecture

Halle de la Machine

Toulouse

Halle de la Machine is an exhibition hall and museum installed in a hall near the Piste des Géants at the former Toulouse-Montaudran airport. It is part of the Toulouse Aerospace La Piste des Géants project, alongside the L'Envol des pionniers museum. Its location is associated with the birth and glory years of Aéropostale. The site accommodates classes and presents a collection that includes Astérion le Minotaure, 14 meters tall, and approximately 200 atypical spectacle machines. It has also hosted the street show Le Gardien du Temple, which included the giant machine Ariane l'araignée, and Le Gardien du Temple - La Porte des Ténèbres, involving Astérion, Ariane, and Lilith. Lilith is described as a machine with a woman's face and a scorpion body. The three-day event Le Gardien du Temple - La Porte des Ténèbres gathered 1.2 million spectators.

Map showing the location of Halle de la Machine in Toulouse
Location of Halle de la Machine in Toulouse

Nearby Objects

Access to Halle de la Machine

Halle de la Machine can be reached by several transport options. By car, it is accessible via the peripheral road on the west side. Nearby bus services also provide access to the site. In addition, TER trains stop at Toulouse-Montaudran station, offering another connection for visitors. Access is expected to improve further in 2028, when the Montaudran Gare - Piste des Geants metro station on a new metro line is scheduled to serve the area.

Location and role

The Halle de la Machine is installed in a hall near the Piste des Geants at the former Toulouse-Montaudran airport. It is part of the Toulouse Aerospace La Piste des Geants project, alongside the L'Envol des pionniers museum. Its location is closely associated with the birth and glory years of Aeropostale. The building also accommodates classes, adding an educational use to its place within the site.

Collections and Street Shows

Halle de la machine presents a collection of large-scale spectacle machines, including Astérion le Minotaure, which is 14 meters tall, and approximately 200 other atypical spectacle machines. It also stages street shows that bring these machines into public performance. Le Gardien du Temple featured the giant machine Ariane l araignee. A later production, Le Gardien du Temple - La Porte des Tenebres, involved Astérion, Ariane, and Lilith, a machine with a woman's face and a scorpion body. This three-day event gathered 1.2 million spectators, showing the strong public attention given to these performances.