Ten imaginative and unusual Christmas trees

Upside-down Christmas tree at the Tate Britain in London

To celebrate the Christmas holidays, we’ve selected 10 creative Christmas tree designs from the Dezeen archive, including a tree trapped inside a giant ice cube and an upside-down tree.

The roundup also includes a tree suspended upside-down from the ceiling and an exhibition in a country home of unconventional Christmas tree designs.

Read on for imaginative and unusual interpretations of Christmas trees:


Upside-down Christmas tree at the Tate Britain in London

Upside-down Christmas tree, UK, by Shirazeh Houshiary

Artist Shirazeh Houshiary designed this upside-down Christmas tree for London’s Tate Britain in 2016, which was hung from the ceiling of the gallery’s Millbank building.

Houshiary covered the roots in gold leaf to highlight a part of the pine tree that is usually hidden while embracing the natural texture, colour, shape and smell of the rest of the tree.

Find out more about the upside-down Christmas tree ›


Nendo Christmas tree with moving panels
Photo by Takumi Ota

Tokyo Midtown Christmas tree, Japan, by Nendo

Installed this year in the Tokyo Midtown shopping centre, this Christmas tree designed by Japanese design studio Nendo features star-shaped cut-outs that flutter in a rhythmic pattern.

The white tree stands 7.5 metres tall and has a polyhedral surface made up of flat metal panels. In total 416 compact fans sit behind the panels, which are programmed to move the cut-outs and down around the tree.

Find out more about Tokyo Midtown Christmas tree ›


Frozen Christmas tree by Alex Chinneck at Kings Cross
Photo by Iwona Pinkowicz

Frozen Christmas tree, UK, by Alex Chinneck

In 2016, British artist Alex Chinneck seemingly froze a Christmas tree in a giant ice cube for this installation at King’s Cross in London.

Chinneck used a two-tonne block of resin to confine the five-metre-tall Christmas tree and added a surrounding puddle of wax to give the appearance of melting ice.

Find out more about the frozen Christmas tree ›


alternative-christmas-tree-som-architecture-installation-design_dezeen_sqb
Photo by Allan Toft

Alternative Christmas Tree Sculpture, Denmark, by SOM

In place of a traditional Christmas tree, American architecture studio SOM designed a lattice pavilion in the courtyard of the Utzon Center in Denmark.

At the base of the structure, openings that reference the pyramidal shape of trees led visitors into the centre of the sculpture.

Find out more about Alternative Christmas Tree Sculpture ›


White ribbon Christmas tree at Harewood House exhibition
Photo by Tom Arber

Long Live the Christmas Tree, UK, by multiple designers

This festive season, an exhibition of unconventional Christmas trees titled Long Live the Christmas Tree was presented in the historic Harewood House in West Yorkshire.

The country house showcased 11 designs created by artists, designers and craftspeople that drew reference to the estate, including this unfurling paper spiral tree by paper artist Andy Singleton.

Find out more about Long Live the Christmas Tree ›


Yinka Ilori Christmas tree installation at Sanderson London hotel

Sanderson hotel Christmas tree, UK, by Yinka Ilori

British designer Yinka Ilori created this abstract Christmas tree for the lobby of Sanderson hotel in London, which was illuminated from within the timber-slatted structure.

Its geometric form was also designed to evoke a stack of presents, with five different coloured shapes layered on top of one another.

Find out more about the Sanderson hotel Christmas tree ›


Yabu Pushelberg christmas tree

Upper House Hotel Christmas tree, Hong Kong, by Lasvit and Yabu Pushelberg

Handblown elongated glass lights and champagne-gold polished brass fittings make up this tree-shaped installation by Czech glass brand Lasvit and design firm Yabu Pushelberg.

Located in the lobby of Hong Kong‘s Upper House Hotel, the glass elements were arranged in a diamond pattern and have delicate hand-etched grooves.

Find out more about Upper House Hotel Christmas tree ›


Electric Nemeton Christmas tree installation by Sam Jacob Studio
Photo by Jim Stephenson

Electric Nemeton, UK, by Sam Jacob Studio

Architecture practice Sam Jacob Studio aimed to create a futuristic interpretation of Christmas trees when designing Electric Nemeton, a display at Granary Square in London’s King’s Cross made up of elevated obelisks.

Raised four metres from the ground on steel “trunks”, the cluster of green pyramids was intended to mimic a forest of trees and was illuminated at night.

Find out more about Electric Nemeton ›


Tree of Glass installation by Lee Broom
Photo by David Clevand

Tree of Glass, UK, by Lee Broom

Displayed inside The Shard in 2017, British designer Lee Broom was informed by the skyscraper‘s triple-storey atrium when designing the Tree of Glass installation.

Broom collaborated with glassware brand Nude to create the tree, which was made up of 245 individual hand-blown glass pendant lights.

After the Christmas celebrations, the Tree of Glass was disassembled and sold as individual lighting products, with the proceeds donated to The British Red Cross.

Find out more about Tree of Glass ›


Temenos glows multicolours

Temenos, UK, by Liliane Lijn

Also displayed at Granary Square in King’s Cross, Temenos was an 11.3 metre-tall abstract structure made up of multicoloured glowing neon poles designed by American artist Liliane Lijn.

The 19 poles of different lengths were arranged in a conical-like shape with an opening that allowed visitors to walk inside Tenemos and be surrounded by the neon lighting strips.

Find out more about Temenos ›

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