Towering 14 metres high at the gateway to Station Hill, Pivotal by NEON is a kinetic sculpture designed to symbolise movement, identity, and the dynamic nature of Reading’s future.

Inspired by the flag - a form rich in meaning as a marker of identity, wayfinding, and occasion - Pivotal is composed of 73 brightly coloured fins that rotate around a central mast. Each fin contains 80 individual kinetic elements that respond to the wind, meaning no two moments with the sculpture are ever the same. At night, the work transforms again: internal LED lighting animates the fins with programmed sequences, turning the piece into a glowing, ever-changing beacon.

The work is as much about emotion and energy as it is about structure. Positioned near Reading Station, where 20 million passengers pass annually, Pivotal was designed to become an emblem of the town’s ambition and adaptability.

Its name, chosen with care, reflects both a literal rotating axis and a figurative turning point - capturing Reading in a moment of transformation. The sculpture’s vivid colours and rhythmic movement mirror a town in motion, driven by new ideas and inclusive energy.

Photography from Altay Dogahan, Redwood Consulting, Adrian Lambert, and Andy Stagg