THERE is the chance to discover what went on behind the scenes of Poole’s iconic Twin Sails Bridge during its 20-month construction.

This evening Wilkinson Eyre and Ramboll, the architects and engineers, will be giving a talk at the town’s RNLI College hosted by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Senior project architect Simon Roberts and engineer Steve Thompson will discuss how the initial design was conceived, what inspired them, and the process involved in getting the innovative bridge design up and running.

The £21.6million bridge was listed for this year’s Stirling Prize, and won a coveted RIBA award.

The engineer and architect will discuss the innovations and challenges of this award-winning structure which opened in spring 2012. Its unusual design splits on the diagonal and when raised the triangular leaves mirror the sails of passing boats.

“This innovative bridge is a lasting legacy for Poole’s skyline,” said Jon Watkins, RIBA regional director. “Wilkinson Eyre and Ramboll have a particularly interesting story to share about how the bridge was designed and how it functions and I hope you can join us at this celebratory event to get the full picture.”

Wilkinson Eyre has earned a reputation as pioneering bridge designers.

The company has famous bridges worldwide, including the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, a ‘winking’ eye-shaped pedestrian bridge. Their work ranges from bridges to large scale road and rail infrastructure and Ramboll’s bridge engineering team has often worked alongside them.

Doors open at 5.30pm and the talk starts at 6pm.

Tickets are £7.50 or £5 for students and are available at twin-sails-bridge.eventbrite.co. uk. There will be the chance to ask questions and go on a walking tour of the bridge with the architect.