By The Listening Brook
This project reimagines the existing Crewe Heritage Centre and its surrounding landscape as a dynamic and exploratory space that enables the collection and redistribution of the townspeople’s memories and stories in a bold yet sensitive celebration of oral history.
The proposal emerged from a deep sense of disconnect: between Crewe’s fragmented urban fabric, shaped by heavy industrial and transport infrastructure, and the static displays of the current heritage centre, which stood in stark contrast to the vibrant, personal narratives shared by residents on site. What I discovered was not a forgotten heritage, but one alive in the voices of the community, stories passed down, relived, and retold with passion. These narratives demanded a platform, not a pedestal.
The final design extends the Valley Brook corridor to create a continuous pedestrian and cycle route linking the town centre, soon home to the new Cheshire Archives, with surrounding neighbourhoods. Anchored along this path is the Valley Brook Story House, a landmark auditorium visible from Crewe Station, the town’s main gateway. A new community workshop space, previously absent in the town, supports local clubs and groups, while an on-site residence invites authors, poets, and speakers to guide and perform, acting as a living narrator for the building. The overhanging roof, crafted from reused corrugated metal salvaged from the original heritage centre, shelters spaces of gathering and exchange, while its exposed structure quietly nods to Crewe’s legacy of craft. A west-facing promenade runs along the new pedestrian route and rail line, doubling as a place for passers-by to encounter upcoming performances, a threshold between everyday life and the unfolding story within. This is a place where architecture becomes both vessel and voice for the stories that shape Crewe.
