About this place
La Filature is Mulhouse's scène nationale — one of Alsace's leading cultural venues, built in 1993 on the site of a former wool-combing mill. The building follows a design by architect Claude Vasconi and stands where the Laederich & Cie factory once operated, founded in 1883 on the banks of the Nouveau Bassin. The name itself, "Filature," meaning spinning mill, is a direct nod to that industrial past.
What makes the building stand out?
The venue's most striking feature is its curved shell of glass and steel, a bold silhouette that helped earn La Filature the "Architecture contemporaine remarquable" label, awarded alongside eight other sites across the Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération region.
Four institutions share the same roof: the scène nationale with its exhibition gallery, the Mulhouse Symphony Orchestra (Orchestre national de Mulhouse), the Mulhouse media library dedicated to the performing arts, and the headquarters of the Météo Festival. Together they turn La Filature into a genuine cultural hub rather than a single-purpose theatre.
What can you see and do there?
Each season brings more than 50 productions spanning theatre, dance, music, circus arts, and shows for young audiences. Recurring highlights include Les Nuits de l'étrange, the Quinzaine de la danse, and the Vagamondes festival. The Opéra national du Rhin performs here regularly as well.
Visual arts have been part of La Filature's identity from the start, with a particular focus on photography alongside installation, video, and multimedia work. The gallery hosts temporary exhibitions by established artists, and admission to them is free.
How do you get there?
La Filature sits in Mulhouse, in the Alsace region, within easy reach of the city centre and the train station. Mulhouse is well connected by rail to Strasbourg, Basel, and Belfort, making it a convenient stop whether you're arriving from elsewhere in France, from Switzerland, or from Germany.
When is the best time to visit?
The cultural season runs from autumn through spring, packed with performances and concerts. It's worth checking the current programme before planning a trip, since festivals like Les Vagamondes and the Quinzaine de la danse happen on fixed dates and tend to draw larger crowds. The exhibition gallery rotates its shows periodically, so it helps to know what's currently on display.
Frequently asked questions
What is La Filature? It's Mulhouse's scène nationale, combining theatre, dance, music, circus, and visual arts under one roof. The building opened in 1993 on the site of a former wool-spinning mill.
Who designed the building? Architect Claude Vasconi designed the distinctive curved glass-and-steel shell that later earned the venue its contemporary architecture recognition.
What institutions are housed there? The scène nationale and its gallery, the Mulhouse Symphony Orchestra, a performing-arts media library, and the headquarters of the Météo Festival.
Is admission to the exhibitions free? Yes — temporary exhibitions in La Filature's gallery are free to visit.
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