François Labbé establishes the company in Nice
The workshop develops a culture of architectural metalwork, precision and moving structures.
F. Labbé / history and skills
A workshop history built around metal and movement.
F. Labbé began in Nice with architectural metalwork and developed expertise in complex moving structures, including private funiculars and outdoor inclined lifts.
Documented continuity
Inclined mobility grew from the company's way of making.
François Labbé established the business in the late 1970s. The workshop developed an interest in projects that combined structure, precision and movement.
After his death in 1993, four employees took over the company. That continuity preserved practical knowledge and supported the later specialisation in inclined mobility for private, shared and public sites.
This account relies on information published by F. Labbé and the historic Funiculaire.com press archive. Unverified anecdotes and figures have not been added.
Key dates
Three stages explain the current project culture.
Four employees continue the business
After François Labbé's death, four members of the team take over the company, preserving skills and continuity.
Design office, workshop and site remain connected
F. Labbé develops bespoke inclined mobility projects for private, shared and public sites, subject to project verification.
How we work
Precision is visible in the interfaces.
Read the site
Understand the journey, terrain and people before selecting the solution.
Design for fabrication
Keep drawings, workshop constraints and installation sequence connected.
State what remains open
Do not transform a rendering, assumption or standard into an unverified promise.
Press archive
Historic coverage of F. Labbé inclined-lift projects.
The former Funiculaire.com website included a dedicated press-review page. Its public subjects are preserved here as part of the company history. The documented projects and original videos show installations in their real setting, while copies and source details can be requested from F. Labbé where available.
Discuss the project / first review
Describe the site before choosing the solution.
A few simple details are enough to understand the journey and prepare a useful first discussion.
Useful first documents
- Photographs from the bottom and top
- Levels to connect and intended use
- Any available plan, section or survey