The Christmas season is a festive and magical time of year. In London, with the Winter Wonderland and light displays, the city comes alive and fills our heads with sugarplums and reindeers. Every year we are blown away with the new and always more spectacular Christmas tree designs that are put up for us to enjoy. Here are some of the Christmas tree we thought had the most Christmas spirit this year.
The classic Disney never gets old and remains a favourite for kid and adults alike. St Pancras International is the proud home of the 14-metre tall pile of 2,000 Disney Store soft toys. All the toys will be donated to disabled children’s charity Kids in the new year. This fun, festive tree explodes with snowflakes every four minutes to add even more Christmas magic.
Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer and CEO, Christopher Bailey, designed the luxury Mayfair hotel, Claridge’s, 2015 Christmas tree. The unique, sparkling, magical tree is comprised of more than 100 gold and silver metallic material umbrellas. It is a motion-responsive metallic tree with 77,000 individual lights, which are set off as guests pass the structure, creating glittering reflections at all angles across the lobby.
Another unique, wintery creation is the beautifully lit structure made from 365 sledges. Artist studio Creatmosphere collaborated with Hungarian company Hello Wood to create this original, impressive tree in Granary Square. It will be part of the festival taking place in January, Lumiere London.
The Wishing Tree, Kalpataru, at the V&A is an abstract tree designed by Delhi-based designers Sarthak and Sahil. It is part of the India Festival held at the museum. Indian motifs including the lotus flower and paisley decorate the tree which is three-and-a-half metres high. The light installation is metaphorical for hope, prosperity and ecology. The Kalpataru is a wish fulfilling tree in Indian mythology. It is made from handcrafted beaten brass.
Another of Mayfair’s luxury hotel The Connaught displays Damien Hirst-designed tree outside the main entrance. The 30 feet tall Norway Spruce is decorated with reinvented surgical instruments including, snowmen made of giant pills, white doves, garlands of pink sausages, and curious items which the designer chose to represent hope derived from the power of science and medicine.
The winter wonderland inspired tree at One Aldwych sparkles as if with a million lights. The 25 feet tree was designed by the hotel’s in-house florist Mark Siredzuk. It is ornamented with 130 birdhouses, dazzling birch branches, frosty asparagus fern and hundreds of robins. It is truly magical!
Tiffany & Co donated and decorated the tree at The Royal Exchange making it a more festive place to pass by this season. For the lighting of the tree special guest Jodie Kidd was present and there were performances by the East London Choir as people helped themselves to mulled wine and mince pies.
Wondering around the city has never felt more magical.