Art on Campus

A selection of our largest and most important works are on permanent display in the University Library. These include Leon Kossoff’s monumental Willesden Junction, Early Morning (1962) on the ground floor and Peter Kalkhof’s Cosmic Scatter II (colour and space) (1983/84) on the fourth-floor.

Find out more details about the artworks in the Main Library here.

Park House is located at the very heart of the beautiful Whiteknights Campus, between Eat at the Square and the Students’ Union building in one of the stunning historic houses of the former Whiteknights Park Estate.

Park House showcases items from the University Art Collection which are directly associated with the University’s history.

Hung with a selection of six facsimiles featuring drawings from the Minnie Jane Hardman Collection, this corridor is the home of the Department of Classics and ends in the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology.

To find out more about their collections click here.

Officially known as the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication, Typography split from Fine Art in 1972. Since then, the department has built up unrivalled collections and archives relating to lettering, printing and graphic design. These are now regarded as being of international importance.

To find out more about these collections click here.

Also known as Reading School of Art, the Department of Fine Art developed from the earliest days of the University. Art classes were originally set up in 1860, within a School of Art in West Street, run by Charles R. Havell.

The Department moved to its present location at Earley Gate in 1989. With studios open 24/7 and a variety of workshops, the Department showcases its students work during its end-of-year shows.

Wantage Hall, built 1908, is the oldest hall of residence at the University of Reading. The hall is one of 13 belonging to the University and is close to Whiteknights Campus.

Featuring portraits of individuals in its dining room, Wantage showcases those with strong historic links to the University.

Over Summer 2020, artist-duo Ben Cain and Tina Gverović installed the sculpture Floating Garden in the new library quad on the Whiteknights campus. Inspired by the University’s history, research interests and communities, it responds to the theme of ‘library’.

The sculpture is one of a number of ongoing Public Art initiatives at the University that seek to develop relationships between colleagues, students, the local community and local and international artists, enabling the University to act as a cultural leader in the region.

You can find out more about Floating Garden here