It blinks! Reading Station lights up Station Hill mural with amazing tributes to Ding icons

Visitors to Reading Station can’t have failed to have noticed the Station Hill mural which encompasses the subway.

Called Rivers, Ruins and Regency, it is a collaborative artwork by Stuart Melrose and Kev Munday. Much of choices made for the display have been made by Reading people, and it incorporates stories, illustrations and references to the people and places that have made the Ding something special.

During the day, the Station Hill mural is a black and white assortment of art closely packed together. At night, each element comes to life.

All the mainstays are present and correct including the Maiwand Lion, the Mad Stad, the Banksy artwork, and the Blade. There are other venues to look out for including The Hexagon, Prospect Park, and Thames Valley Park.

The town’s history and culture are celebrated with mentions of Windrush Generation, the Sikh Parade, St Mary’s Church and Neil Papworth sending the first-ever text message.

Paddington Bear is on the Station Hill mural too, with his links to Reading coming via author Michael Bond.

The River Thames and River Kennet also feature, and sports teams including the Reading RAMS Rugby Club and Reading Rockets are in there somewhere.

Among the faces are celebrities including the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, Ricky Gervais, Kate Winslet and Marianne Faithfull, while local legends include Ethiopian café maestro Tutu Melaku.

Add in Mr Tumble’s spotty bag and there really is something for all ages to spot.

Where is it?

There are two elements to the Station Hill mural.

The main display is at Station Hill by the town centre entrance to the subway.

A smaller display is on show at the Friar Street entrance to Station Hill.

This features – among other Ding favourites – Phoebe Cusden, Oscar Wilde, Mary Russell Mitford, Jane Austen, Empress Matilda, Hugh Farringdon, Trooper Fred Potts, Edith Morley, King Henry I, and James Cocks, the inventor of Cocks Sauce.

Other items that tell the Reading story include the King Spy Oak Tree, Jacksons Corner, Simonds Beer, Reading Minster and the Abbey Gateway.

Who is behind the Station Hill Reading mural?

The Station Hill mural is part of a series of art installations created by Station Hill owners Lincon MGT for the new public realm that has finally opened in the town. It is part of an £850 million redevelopment of the area.

Curated by Futurecity, the displays give an instant positive impression to the 13.5 million visitors who arrive by train every year – it’s the ninth most used station in the country.

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The team at FutureCity were given a brief of creating a front door to the town, and a gateway to the town’s creative and multifaceted cultural offer, as well as being a wayfinding beacon that draws eyes and minds into the town day after day, year after year.

The result is the Station Hill mural.

Exploring the scheme on his website, artist Kev Munday wrote: “Myself and Stuart worked with 12 local schools to gather their ideas for what should be included within the murals, as well as working with an advisory group of local historians and councillors and conducting our own independent research.

“The artwork is illuminated by thousands of LEDs which are individually controlled by a complex computer system, allowing us to send animations through the murals and change the way they look to mark certain events throughout the year.

“The black lines have been cut out of aluminium and attached to the front, so in the daytime the murals appear in black and white only and come to life with colour every night between dusk and midnight.”

What else will be at Station Hill besides the mural?

The public realm will have much to do throughout the year.

As well as providing step free access through to Friar Street, and the Station Hill mural to enjoy, there is more art and sculptures to explore, and there will be a water spray for children to enjoy on warm days.

Reading can now also boast having the largest continuous terrazzo seat in Europe.

The specially commissioned series of sculptures and murals, which have been delivered by predominantly local artists, collectively form an ‘art trail’ through the Station Hill estate and include:

• The Friars Walk mural: Rivers, Ruins & Regency depicting notable figures including King Henry I, who commissioned the construction of Reading Abbey and peace campaigner and politician Phoebe Cusden. It also highlights local icons including Huntley & Palmers biscuits, the Second World War memorial cemetery and the Hand of St James relic.
• The Station Hill mural: Royals, Residents & a Rock Festival featuring celebrities like Kate Winslet, Ricky Gervais, Kate Middleton and Marianne Faithfull, alongside local figures such as businesswoman Tutu Melaku and Neil Papworth, sender of the first-ever SMS message
• Seed sculpture, referencing Sutton’s Seeds and 19^th Century Reading, merging botany, history and image microscopy. It sits on a plinth honouring Reading’s brickmaking heritage and its surface is embellished with nine bronze reliefs of magnified seed textures, chosen through a public engagement programme
• Pivotal, forming a monumental kinetic artwork outside ONE Station Hill, inspired by flags and symbolising a bright and creative era for Reading. It is comprised of more than 70 brightly coloured fins, each with a surface that moves in the wind, creating a dynamic and ever-changing display during the day and at night

Detailed insights into how each artwork has been produced will be available via dedicated QR codes on adjacent plinths, as well as through the recently relaunched Station Hill website: www.stationhill.co.uk

In addition to the artworks, Station Hill is home to Siren Craft Brew’s tap room and sandwich bar Shed.

This will soon be joined by Notes Coffee, and Kawaii, a restaurant that will serve traditional Japanese cuisine with a modern twist.

And what does Reading make of it?

In a statement, Councillor Liz Terry, Reading Borough Council Leader, said of the Station Hill mural: “The creation of an attractive green space and accompanying public square, complete with seating, sculptures and artwork, will likely quickly become a destination, and the level access from the Station towards both Friar Street and the Town Centre will be of huge benefit.

“It’s fair to say the wider Station Hill project has been some years in the making and I’m certain residents will have wondered what the final completed project would look like.

“I hope they will agree it’s now a hugely impressive public space which further cements Reading’s reputation as a great place to live, work and visit.”