Minster Quarter, Reading

Image courtesy of PRP

Minster Quarter is the transformational £250 million redevelopment of central Reading, which will deliver 600 new homes alongside 40,000sqft of commercial space, a community hub and a new cultural destination that enhances the historic setting of the Minster and the Hexagon Theatre. Our client, McLaren Living, has now been awarded the rights to redevelop the former civic centre site owned by Reading Borough Council, which marks a defining moment in Reading’s town-centre renewal. Our public realm vision and bid-winning masterplan, designed alongside PRP, positions people at the heart of the scheme, drawing on Reading’s heritage of arts, performance and innovation to shape a welcoming and expressive urban environment.

Client:
McLaren Living
Architect:
PRP

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Image courtesy of PRP

Forming the focal point of the project, the new public plaza frames the Hexagon and offers programmable, flexible space enriched by generous planting and clear pedestrian connections to surrounding streets. Our approach extended beyond the site boundary to elevate the wider town-centre experience – reworking adjacent streets to support an established weekly market and reimagining the sub-podium spaces with improved lighting, planting and materials. The result is a cohesive, legible and culturally rooted public realm that amplifies Reading’s identity while creating a lively destination for residents and visitors.

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Image courtesy of PRP

Forming the focal point of the project, the new public plaza frames the Hexagon and offers programmable, flexible space enriched by generous planting and clear pedestrian connections to surrounding streets. Our approach extended beyond the site boundary to elevate the wider town-centre experience – reworking adjacent streets to support an established weekly market and reimagining the sub-podium spaces with improved lighting, planting and materials. The result is a cohesive, legible and culturally rooted public realm that amplifies Reading’s identity while creating a lively destination for residents and visitors.

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