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On Friday 24 October, you can join RIBA for a celebratory talk that will give you an insight into the design and build of the Gillespie Yunnie Architects’ staircase at Royal William Yard, Plymouth.

This vibrant project has been taking the architectural world by storm and has duly won a host of accolades including an RIBA South West Award, RIBA South West Project of the Year, and RIBA South West Architect of the Year 2014. The project is also shortlisted for the Stephen Lawrence Prize 2014 and won the AJ Small Projects Sustainability Award.

As part of the Royal William Yard development in Plymouth, the South West Coast Path team worked with developer Urban Splash, the Friends of Devil’s Point Park and Plymouth City Council to fill a gap in the South West Coast Path and constructed a brand new staircase, bringing walkers around the Stonehouse peninsula for the first time.

The staircase, designed by Dartington-based Gillespie Yunnie Architects, was opened in June last year, and funded with a grant of £237,000 from Natural England.

This bold staircase shows that architecture doesn’t have to be big to be beautiful. The cleverly cantilevered stair links the coastal path to the Royal William Yard, negotiating a 12 metre high defensive wall in the process. At this celebratory talk, you can hear directly from project architects Jackie Gillespie and Will Hoare. You can learn from Will how the project was designed and developed, and Jackie will discuss the history of the site and the project in context – looking at the wider redevelopment of the Royal William Yard.

The evening will conclude with an optional walking tour of the staircase (weather permitting) which comes alive at night via cleverly concealed LED lighting.

Doors open at 5.30pm, Talk from 6pm-7.30pm Tickets: £7.50, Students (with ID): £5

In partnership with: Gillespie Yunnie Architects

Online booking: http://royal-william-yard.eventbrite.co.uk

Photography of RWY Staircase by Richard Downer