ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Designer Christmas Trees Prioritize Sustainability in 2024

architecture-design · 2026-04-26

For the upcoming 2024 holiday season, architects and designers are crafting eco-friendly Christmas trees from recycled materials. In Paris, the studio 5.5 Designers has erected a tree at Hôtel de la Marine, constructed from local fir wood and supported by a metal frame that holds 2,000 used light bulbs sourced from Ecosystem, which will be recycled after Epiphany. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, architect Kengo Kuma has designed two wooden trees for Edition hotels, utilizing discarded wood species that will later be transformed into tables for auction. This initiative is part of a Marriott project featuring various artists, including Hillary Taymour from Collina Strada. In Milan, Ron Gilad has created a tree-shaped installation using Molteni&C's Porta Volta chair, crowned with a glowing star.

Key facts

  • Studio 5.5 Designers created a tree in Paris with 2,000 used light bulbs collected by Ecosystem.
  • The Paris tree will be recycled after Epiphany.
  • Kengo Kuma designed two wooden trees for Edition hotels in Tokyo using discarded industrial wood.
  • Kuma's tree components will be reused to create tables sold at auction with Karimoku.
  • Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada designed trees using fabric scraps for Edition hotels.
  • Ron Gilad created a tree-shaped installation in Milan using Molteni&C chairs designed by Herzog & de Meuron.
  • The Milan installation is at the UniFor showroom in viale Pasubio, visible from Pasternak walkway.
  • The Edition hotel initiative is part of a Marriott project commissioning artists and designers.

Entities

Artists

  • Claire Renard
  • Jean-Sébastien Blanc
  • Kengo Kuma
  • Hillary Taymour
  • Ron Gilad
  • Herzog & de Meuron

Institutions

  • 5.5 Designers
  • Ecosystem
  • Edition
  • Marriott
  • Collina Strada
  • Molteni&C
  • UniFor
  • National Library of Israel
  • Fondazione Feltrinelli
  • Karimoku
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Paris
  • France
  • Hôtel de la Marine
  • Place de la Concorde
  • Tokyo
  • Japan
  • Ginza
  • Toranomon
  • Milan
  • Italy
  • viale Pasubio
  • Pasternak walkway
  • Gerusalemme
  • Israele

Sources