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.
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."
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.