New museum, with exhibition design by Nissen Richards Studio, combines historic buildings with contemporary brick intervention to display Clarks’ 200-year legacy
The Shoemakers Museum in Street, Somerset, has opened to the public, bringing together collections linked to the history of Clarks shoes alongside local industrial and geological heritage. Designed by Purcell for the Alfred Gillett Trust, the museum incorporates a 16th-century manor house, a 17th-century barn and a new brick-built addition, and houses four permanent galleries.
Rosie Martin, director of the Shoemakers Museum, said: “Shoemakers Museum is housed in a unique and beautiful building. The exterior is striking, whilst the interior provides the ideal home for our collections. We are delighted to be open to the public and to have the opportunity to share the story of 200 years of shoemaking with the world.”
The permanent exhibitions, including graphic design, wayfinding and shop interiors, were created by Nissen Richards Studio in collaboration with the museum’s curatorial team. The design of the building is intended to express three layers of Street’s history: geological, architectural and industrial.
Blue lias stone, salvaged and redressed on site, forms part of the new structure, referencing the local quarries that yielded ichthyosaur fossils collected by Alfred Gillett in the 19th century. Brickwork details are designed to reference elements from Clarks’ shoes such as perforations, pinked edges and visible stitching.
Purcell project architect Alasdair Ferguson said: “Our goal was to create a building that feels deeply rooted in its heritage while responding to an inspiring brief from a wonderful client team. The museum is conceived firstly as a place for the people of Street, that celebrates the enduring story of Clarks shoes and displays its legacy in a way that is joyful, authentic and engaging.”
The project employs a timber–concrete composite flooring system that combines cross-laminated timber with a concrete topping. According to the design team, this approach allows for spans beyond those possible with timber alone, while improving acoustic and fire performance. Glulam beams were sourced within the UK.
On the east façade, corbelled brickwork was delivered without temporary formwork, using a system of screwed angles, resin anchors and helical ties. The construction method allowed the wall to be built in three-row sections and completed in 13 days, using only 13 standard brick types.
Lime mortar was specified to support future disassembly and reuse. The brickwork was carried out by PJ Cooke, a local bricklayer from Street.
The museum adopts a fabric-first strategy, with the design team reporting a LETI A rating for whole-life carbon and an EPC A-3 operational rating. Other measures include re-use of 70 per cent of salvaged blue lias stone, photovoltaic arrays designed to provide peak energy demand, and all-electric systems.
Adaptable floorplates aim to support long-term flexibility of use.
The museum houses a permanent collection of 25,000 shoes dating from Roman times to the present, as well as fossils and artefacts relating to local industry. The Alfred Gillett Trust states that the building is intended to act as a civic anchor for Street, providing educational opportunities for schools and universities, and reconnecting the town with its industrial heritage.
The Shoemakers Museum opened on 18 September 2025.
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