The Darling Foundry is located in an industrial building that was used by the Darling company between 1889 and 1971 to produce metal castings for industrial equipment. The building ceased to be used for commercial purposes in 1991. In 1993, Montreal cultural organization Quartier Éphémère began to invest in 'in situ' projects within vacant or abandoned Montreal industrial buildings and to reach a diverse public, off of the beaten track of contemporary art. The Darling Foundry is one of QE’s projects. By turning buildings which were about to be demolished into artistic place, the association saved a total of 3500 square meters in the :fr:Faubourg des Récollets|Faubourg des Recollets’s area. The Darling Foundry visual arts centre started its activity by opening its exhibition area in 2002. In 2006, the association inaugurated 12 artists studios in the second part of the building. The building is classified as an "exceptional heritage value building" in the Montreal Built Heritage great repertoire. Its transformation from a foundry into an art center was one of the first industrial heritage recycling success. Darling Foundry supports different kinds of projects, sometimes highly technological, or risky, but always experimental, and open to the world of possibilities.
History
The foundry was constructed in 1880 by the Darling brothers due to the high demand for metal in the construction of machinery, ships and the railway. It was later expanded several times between 1888 and 1918. Once complete, the complex consisted of four buildings, each with a specific role in the process of the foundry. The foundry became the second largest in Montreal, was at full capacity until the 1970s and employed 800 people. The foundry was purchased by the Pumps & Softener Company in 1971, amid a downturn in the industry. The foundry eventually shut down completely in 1991. Arts organization Quartier Éphémère moved into the complex in the 1990s. The city of Montreal owned the building and let the organisation move in at no charge in exchange for maintaining the building and turning it into an events venue. The building was in disrepair when Quartier Éphémère moved in, however, by the early 2000s, financing was obtained and the building was renovated. Today, the building contains of space dedicated to the visual arts.
