Built on the former site of the Manufacture Nationale d'Armes — the state arms factory that made Saint-Étienne a city of heavy industry — the Cité du Design is now one of Europe's leading design research and exhibition centres. The complex mixes preserved industrial buildings with a striking new pavilion by Finn Geipel and Giulia Andi.
The permanent display covers French and international industrial design, from furniture and product design to urban planning. The building hosts the biennial design festival and a range of temporary exhibitions throughout the year. The on-site esplanade is the venue for outdoor events in summer. Worth at least two hours; the bookshop is good.
The site has a direct connection to the city's history: Manufrance, based here from the 1880s, produced bicycles, arms, and hunting equipment that were sold by mail order across France — an early version of the catalogue retail model.