After a brief stay in what later became Greyfriars Church, the town council created a new town hall by inserting an upper floor into the refectory of the Hospitium of St John, the former hospitium of Reading Abbey.

[4] The architect for the new civic offices was the firm of Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners, who also designed the new police station and Hexagon theatre.

The new Civic Centre was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in May 1978.

[5][6] In 2014, the civic offices were deemed to be at the end of its design life and the council gave approval for demolition.

[8][9][10] The civic centre originally comprised four adjacent and interlinked buildings.