Cartwheeling boys sculpture installed at Civic Centre

The cartwheeling boys sculpture has been installed at its new home on the front of the Civic Centre.

It is just over four years since the sculpture was last seen in public, after storm Eunice toppled the wall it stood on in February 2022. The storm recorded the strongest gust ever measured in England at 122 miles per hour on the Isle of Wight.

One of the three figures was badly damaged during the storm. The parts were carefully retrieved after the storm and placed in storage while plans were made for its repair and relocation.

Where the sculpture came from

The sculpture was a gift from Reading’s twin town of Düsseldorf, Germany. The gift marked 30 years of partnership between the two towns. It represents the tradition of children performing cartwheels as a sign of joy and celebration.

It was originally installed in 1981 opposite the entrance to the previous council offices near The Hexagon.

Repair and installation

In 2023, funding was secured to redevelop the Civic Centre on Bridge Street. Plans included installing the cartwheeling boys sculpture on the outside of the building.

The cartwheeling boys were restored using a combination of computer modelling and traditional sculpting techniques by The Affable Design Company and AB Fine Art Foundry.

Morgan Sindall created a reinforced frame on the front of the new reception area. A crane lifted the sculpture into place at the corner on Wednesday 25 February 2026.

Councillor comment

Councillor Liz Terry, Leader of the Council, said:

“What better way to mark a project like redeveloping the Civic Centre and creating a new central library than incorporating a symbol of Reading’s history.

The then Mayor of Reading, Councillor Phoebe Cusden, cultivated links with Germany in 1947, and they are still strong today.

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in keeping the sculpture safe since that terrible storm, those who have worked innovatively to recreate the parts that could not be salvaged, and the team delivering the civic redevelopment.

The Reading Düsseldorf Association has also funded the information board, which will tell people the history of the sculpture and how it came to be at the Civic Centre.

I am so pleased to see the cartwheeling boys back up on display in Reading, where they deserve to be.”

Looking ahead

The new central library is due to open in the summer of 2026 and will be accessed through the new reception area.

A rededication of the sculpture will take place later this year.