Dezeen Magazine

All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax

Anna Lomax reimagines Christmas tree as a twisting column

Designer Anna Lomax has unveiled the All Lit Up! glowing Christmas tree-like sculpture in the Victoria and Albert museum's South Kensington Grand Entrance.

Drawing on the museum's entryway columns, Lomax designed the installation as a spiralling column that forms the shape of a traditional Christmas tree.

Image of glowing installation by Anna Lomax
Anna Lomax has unveiled a glowing installation at the V&A

According to Lomax, the whimsical installation, which was manufactured and engineered by local studio Jailmake, was designed to "evoke the feelings of joy and child-like wonder" and embody the Christmas spirit.

"My design for the 2025 V&A Christmas Tree uses the iconic V&A dome columns as a starting point but gives them an actual playful twist, embodying the 'Christmas Spirit' through a spectacle of light," Lomax said.

Nestled between four large columns, a rounded metallic plinth forms the base of the installation, which rises in a spiral and features a decorative design illuminated by LED lights.

"Lighting up and lifting spirits this festive season, we are thrilled to commission Anna Lomax for this year's V&A Christmas tree installation," senior curator Meneesha Kellay said.

"Delighting visitors with her playful site-specific response, Anna has taken inspiration from the iconic columns in our Grand Entrance."

All Lit Up! installation
The spiralling structure is illuminated by LED lights

The installation also draws parallels between trees and columns, aiming to "unify the elegance of a tree with the strength of a column", the museum added.

The artwork forms the latest of the museum's annual Christmas installations and will remain on display until 5 January 2025.

Previous designers of the series' installations include Es Devlin, who created The Singing Tree installation in 2017, which emitted audio-visual carols.

Other festive installations featured on Dezeen include a neon Christmas tree designed "as a beacon that radiates colour" in Kings Cross, London, and a Christmas tree composed of travel trunks exhibited at Claridge's hotel in Mayfair.

The photography is courtesy of the V&A.

More images

All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax
All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax
All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax
All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax
All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax
All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax
All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax
All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax