24 PROJECTS PROJECT 3
Station Hill development, Reading
Designer Stuart Melrose and artist Kev Munday have created a backlit mural made from HIMACS solid surface that is part of a public realm art trail
WORDS BY TONY ROCK
IMAGES BY MARCUS PEEL PHOTOGRAPHY
How do you celebrate the spirit of a town in a high-profile work of public art? This was the challenge presented to designer Stuart Melrose and artist Kev Munday when they were commissioned to create a backlit mural made from HIMACS solid surface for the new £850m Station Hill development in Reading. A key feature of a £1.5m series of
artworks, devised by cultural placemaking agency Futurecity, and commissioned and funded by Lincoln MGT JV, the mural is part of a public realm art trail across the two acres linking the station with the town centre, and is intended to both reflect and enhance the area’s cultural legacy.
Having local connections, plus experience of the kind of material that could both capture the essence of the design and withstand the demands of an outdoor, high-trafic public installation, Melrose and Munday began the process by working with an advisory committee that included historians, local art groups and schoolchildren.
‘The experience was both inspiring and highly enjoyable,’ says Melrose, ‘and it soon became clear there was fantastic scope for embodying Reading’s heritage and personality in a really vibrant, fun and distinctive way. Bringing artist Kev Munday on board was a no-brainer – his joyful, grafiti style work is unmistakable and absolutely ideal for this project.’
Welcoming arrivals to Reading from the train station, the mural marks a pedestrian gateway to the town and frames the new underpass while being visible from a ‘pocket park’ opposite. Named Royals, Residents & a Rock Festival, the project acknowledges the area’s cultural heritage including famous faces associated with the town, such as Kate Winslet, Ricky Gervais, Kate Middleton (HRH The Princess of Wales) and Marianne Faithfull, alongside local figures such as businesswoman Tutu Melaku, scientist Dr Ethelwynn Trewavas and table tennis champion Matthew Syed. Reading landmarks such as the Hexagon Theatre, the
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101
