Art exhibition dedicated to Reading's last gas tower opens
'The last gasometer and Reading's changing skyline' is taking place as part of the town's heritage open days
Last updated 9th Sep 2021
An art exhibition dedicated to Reading's iconic last gas storage tower has opened at Blake's lock in what used to be the industrial centre of the town.
The exhibition - which runs until the end of the month - is part of Reading's programme of events for Heritage open days.
Around 30 local artists were invited to produce work inspired by the gas tower which has dominated Reading's skyline for more than a hundred years.
Co-curator Jenny Halstead says she hopes the exhibition will be a suitable farewell to the famous tower:
"Whether you love it or hate it, what is our landscape? What is our skyline? Because it is forever changing particularly in Reading, I think that's what it is, you forget it once it's gone and I hope people will at least remember one gasometer."
The tower will be dismantled over the coming months making the exhibition particularly poignant.
Local artist and co-curator Linda Saul says the tower has become iconic:
"It's interesting people do have a lot of affection for it and I've certainly started noticing it more since we decided to do the exhibition and it is sad it's over a hundred years old and it is quite a fascinating construction."
'The last gasometer and Reading's changing skyline' is taking place in the Turbine house part of the rIverside museum at Blake's Lock. Jenny says the venue alone is worth seeing:
"If you haven't been or if no one's been to the Turbine house you have to come it's unique. It goes out over the Kennet so where else can you stand in the middle of the river unless you're on a boat! And then look at that, the last window on the left and there's the gasometer!"
The exhibition combines paintings, photographs and even metal and glass works to pay homage to the giant tower.
Linda's painting focuses on the skyline aspect of the exhibition:
"What I've done is painted a view of the Reading skyline from a roundabout on the A4, it shows the gasometer but also shows the Blade (building) and quite a few cranes because we've got an awful lot of construction going on in Reading at the moment, so the skyline of Reading is changing all the time and of course the gasometer is going to disappear over the next few months."
You have until the 26th of September to see this fabulous exhibition. It's free to go in and is open daily 10-6 at The Turbine House, Riverside Museum at Blake’s Lock, Reading RG1 3EQ