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.

© 2016 Allan Toft

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.
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.

© 2016 Allan Toft

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 o...