The Royal William Yard / Gillespie Yunnie Architects

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Photography: Richard Downer and Felix Mooneeram

Location: The Royal William Yard, Plymouth

Ocean Studios is a Community Interest Company that provides affordable Artist Studios within the Factory Cooperage building at The Royal William Yard, Plymouth. the former use of the Yard was as a supply depot to the Royal Navy Fleet, the Cooperage was designed to accommodate the making and repair of the casks that were used to store rum, salt meat and fresh water.

The building had an incredible patina from years of neglect and from the outset, the aim was to retain this raw and unpolished historic finish, but stop decay and protect the fabric, and compliment it with the crisp new insertions. A range of simple material were employed within the new build elements; with crisp white walls set against the raw stone and materials like OSB and Birch Ply used for texture, durability and character.

The project brings a much-needed cultural and educational focus to the mixed use development at Royal William Yard, and should encourage the burgeoning contemporary art scene in Plymouth to remain within the City.

The Royal William Yard has been shortlisted for ‘Place-making Project of the Year’ at the 2023 South West Insider Property Awards!We have been involved in the regeneration of the Yard for over 23 years and have worked closely with weareurban splash . We are proud to have created innovative solutions that breathe new life into these beautiful buildings.

The design-led regeneration of the yard has required us to navigate the complexities of working with existing, listed buildings, and the results are an outstanding, mixed-use development with a vibrant community.The Royal William Yard was built between 1825 and 1831 and is home to one of Europe’s largest collections of Grade I listed buildings. Originally constructed as a British Navy Victualling yard, the short construction period has resulted in a unified composition and a remarkable example of complete early 19th-century industrial buildings.