Sledge Tree

We built our very first Christmas tree installation – the Sledge Tree – in 2013. The 11-metre-tall structure was made up of 365 sledges and was on display outside Müpa Budapest during the holiday season. It proved popular among visitors, who could view the uniquely designed wooden framework from the inside, and at night, marvel at its colorfully illuminated surface. Beyond its aesthetic value, however, the installation also conveyed a message of hospitality and community: after it was dismantled, the sledges were donated to the SOS Children’s Villages in Hungary.

Since then, we’ve designed and built variations of the original Sledge Tree in Lenzerheide, Vienna and London. The latter was an artistic collaboration between Hello Wood and Creatmosphere, a UK-based lighting design studio, and served as a teaser for the 2016 Lumiere London light festival. Like its Budapest counterpart, the installation at King’s Cross was made from 365 wooden sledges, and was brought to life with color changing lights and sound effects. The tree - named ‘Let is Snow’ - was also a symbolic reminder of the impact of climate change and the lack of snowfall in the UK’s capital, which has put an end to the age-old tradition of sledging on London’s hills in the wintertime.