The Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, celebrating the life and achievements of the internationally renowned Scottish racing driver, has been created following the imaginative conversion and extension of a three-storey Category B listed Georgian villa and garage block in Duns in the Scottish Borders.

Exterior view of the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum at Duns in the Scottish Borders. The museum is made up of several historic buildings including a sandstone, Georgian detached house and several outbuildings. The garage has been linked to the house with a contemporary structure clad in dark grey. Outside a yellow, Lotus Elan S3 Coupe vintage sports car is parked in the driveway.

The new museum takes the place of the Jim Clark Memorial Room, which had been located on the ground floor of the house. This was originally opened in 1969 following the driver’s tragic death at the age of 32 in a racing accident in Germany.

Expertise

CDM and Principal Designer, Quantity Surveying

Sectors

Conservation and Heritage, Culture and Public

Tribute to a racing icon

The new award-winning interactive exhibition space houses a wealth of memorabilia in honour of the man who dominated world motor racing during his career, winning the Formula One World Championship in 1963 and 1965, and the Indianapolis 500 in 1965.

The exhibits include a number of his racing cars, such as the Formula One Lotus Type 25 and the Border Reiver Jaguar D-Type, as well as his substantial trophy collection, photographs, rare archival film footage of Clark, his family, team mechanics and rivals, and a racing simulator that allows visitors to test their driving skills.

Inside the garage at the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum showing vintage Lotus sports cars all driven by Jim Clark (a green formula one Lotus Type 25, a yellow Lotus Elan S3 Coupe, a cream Lotus Cortina) and wall displays of historic motor racing photographs.

Inside the garages at the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum with vintage racing cars driven by Jim Clark: A Lotus Cortina and a Lotus 25 R6

Refurbishment and extension

The works involved the restoration and repair of the stone, timber and slate fabric of the original buildings, which had deteriorated considerably.

The overall footprint was also extended to increase the amount of exhibition space available – the new arrangement is around four times the size of the original Memorial Room.

This was done by opening up the ground floor – using structural steelwork to achieve the necessary spans after removal of a number of walls – and adding a link building between the house and the garage block.

Inside a cinema area at the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum. Visitors watch a film with footage of racing.

Inside the entrance atrium at the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, Scottish Borders. A double height space with curved reception desk and displays of merchandise. Through a doorway is one of the exhibition rooms.

This striking contemporary double-height structure, clad in zinc panels and glass, now serves as the entrance to the museum.

In addition, a steel and timber frame extension was added to the rear of the property to obtain the 270 sq. metres of unrestricted exhibition space required on the ground floor and also to create administrative offices and archival space on the first floor.

In a large exhibition space at the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, Scottish Borders. Displays of photography and memorabilia in bespoke modern cases.

Construction consultancy services

We acted as principal designer and quantity surveyor for the project, including the management of health and safety during the pre-construction phase and ensuring compliance with all statutory regulations.

Our quantity surveying team provided full traditional bills for the main building and extension works and also collaborated in providing and reviewing the tender documents for the exhibition design, including caseworks, plinths and interactive content.

During the contract we monitored progress, reporting on costs and managing any variations.

Fundraising assistance

The new museum is a partnership project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Borders Council, Live Borders, the Fallago Environment Fund and The Jim Clark Trust. Our team assisted with all the applications and cost planning to help facilitate the fundraising process. Once the funding was in place and the design agreed, an 18-month construction and delivery programme was implemented.

The new visitor attraction opened its doors to the public in July 2019, and the following month it was officially opened by former racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart OBE.

Inside a gallery area at the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, Scottish Borders. A display of photography is arrange in the tall space.

Inside the trophy room at the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, Duns, Scottish Borders. Glazed cabinets on three side contain silver trophies of various sizes.

Exterior, nighttime view of the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, Duns, Scottish Borders. The building is lit up within - a sandstone Georgian villa with outbuildings now linked via a contemporary, double height construction. Tail lights trail across the image, a car has passed by.

CREDITS

Architect Scottish Borders Council
Contractor James Swinton
Services Engineer Cundall
Structural Engineer Christie Gillespie
Principal Designer Thomson Gray
Quantity Surveyor Thomson Gray
Images Paul White