SOM's "Alternative Christmas Tree" Rises at Utzon Center in Denmark

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An “alternative Christmas tree” designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) has been erected in the courtyard of the Utzon Center, coinciding with SOM’s current exhibition, ‘Sky’s the Limit’. Located on the waterfront in Aalborg, Denmark, the Utzon Center was the last project to be designed by the center’s namesake, renowned Danish architect Jørn Utzon.

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The temporary sculpture was designed through a collaborative process between SOM and lighting designer Steensen Varming, and is constructed using modules from Peter Lassen’s GRID system. Inverting the spatial quality of a traditional Christmas Tree, the sculpture provides a space for gathering and reflection.

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Using  1,000 square GRID elements, the “tree” reaches a height of 7 meters (23 feet), and features an array of color-changing lights, illuminating the courtyard in a wash of color.

“Stepping into the middle of a Christmas tree and getting that different and, in some ways, mind-bending experience of space and design, is not something you can experience elsewhere in Denmark,” says Lasse Andersson, creative director at Utzon Center.

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‘Sky’s the Limit’, an exhibition covering SOM’s history of skyscraper design, will be on display from December 1st to January 15th, while the “Christmas tree” will remain in place until the end of January.

News via SOM, Utzon Center.

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