Located in the industrial heart of Ougrée near Liège, the Ateliers Centraux d’Ougrée were an important part of the vast Cockerill-Sambre steel complex. The workshops belonged to an industrial site whose history dates back to the nineteenth century, when the region became one of the most important centers of the European steel industry.

The buildings were used to maintain the equipment required to keep steel production running. One of the best-known sections was the locomotive workshop, often referred to as the “Atelier Loco”, where industrial locomotives and railway wagons were serviced. These trains transported raw materials, molten iron, and steel products across the enormous steelworks.

From the 1990s onward, the Walloon steel industry faced increasing difficulties. Restructuring programs, plant closures, and declining demand for steel led to the gradual disappearance of many industrial activities. The workshops at Ougrée also slowly lost their purpose. By the early 2000s, most maintenance operations had ceased and the complex was abandoned.

Following its closure, the large industrial halls remained largely untouched for many years. The railway tracks, inspection pits, and massive overhead cranes served as reminders of a time when locomotives were repaired here daily for one of Belgium’s largest steel producers.