Economic life in the village

La Forge Moderne welcomes craftsmen and artists to its quarters all year round, like Amandine Antunez. Newly installed at La Forge Moderne, she is a master of the stucco marble technique, a material made from plaster binder, which she works with natural colorants derived from plants. In addition to making and selling her pieces, she regularly works with art students and offers workshops in her studio. There's also a honey house, association premises, ceramists, a carpenter, an antique dealer and much more.

Le Barn's: (re)creating social links

Like any self-respecting village, La Forge Moderne has a café-bar in its center: Le Barn's. Managed by the founders of the Forge Moderne association, Barn's is a convivial place where people of all ages and backgrounds can meet. What's more, foodtrucks set up in front of Barn's, serving local and international fare. Open-air cinema, concerts, magic shows, guinguette-electro... Sylvain and Pierre Garms, the two brothers behind the project, open the place up to all forms of culture. Le Barn's helps to (re)create social links, bring people together and entertain.

A family history

La Forge Moderne is first and foremost a family story. Sylvain and Pierre Garms' great-grandfather, Jean Lalanne, set up sheds in the neighborhood at the start of the Industrial Revolution. He started a transport business in the 1870s. Over the decades, the initial economic activity came to a halt and the site was abandoned. Inspired by their experience of living in California, Pierre and Sylvain decided to reinvest the site to create something new, while honoring the origins and history of the Forge Moderne. In fact, Jean Lalanne remains omnipresent: his portrait can be seen inside the bar and on the wall of a hangar at the back of Barn's.

A third place in Pau

La Forge Moderne is an unusual space. Often described as hybrid and atypical, inspiration is that of the third place, “a new space of social connection, emancipation and collective initiatives.”

Sylvain points out that the Forge Moderne is becoming a collective adventure. People are taking ownership of the project inspired by the Garms brothers.

This “little corner of Béarnie” (a mix between Béarn and California) gives pride of place not only to creators, but also to restaurateurs and live performers, artists...


A place that gathers and inspires!