Do you know the origin of the Picasso cranes which frame the 106 in Rouen?

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Do they stand out in the landscape of the quays in Rouen (Seine-Maritime)? These two cranes, with unusual shapessurround the concert hall at 106, on the left bank. They are commonly nicknamed the Cranes Picasso due to their shape.

But where do they come from and have they ever been used? Or maybe they are just to decorate around 106? This is our not-so-stupid question of the day.

64 years old this year

If you have approached these famous cranes, you have certainly noticed some small inscriptions. And in particular the words “Caillard Le Havre company”. So much for their provenance.

They were made in the 60s by this company Caillard, based in Le Havre, therefore. According to information provided by Haropa Port, they were delivered between 1960 and 1963. And have a lifting capacity of 3/8 tonnes.

“Their design is very different of what was happening at the time. They are made of closed and welded metal boxes, and above all, they are painted in bright blue, bright yellow, red or green,” explains Haropa Port. “The result is so original that the dock staff named these cranes the Picasso Cranes. »

There since the inauguration of 106 in 2010

These cranes were therefore actually used at the port of Rouen, before being donated by the company which manages the port to the city of Rouen. The latter refurbished them (new paint) for the opening of 106 in 2010.

These two emblematic elements of port heritage located on the quays take us back to the historical link between Rouen and its port activity.

“They are a vestige of the time when the port entered the city or rather was part of the city before it moved downstream from Rouen. There are beautiful photos from the period at the maritime museum,” explains for his part. Jean-Cristophe Aplincourtthe person in charge of 106.

In any case, they form a landmark very identified with Rouen and have even, over time, become inseparable from the image of the city.

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