Claridges hotel launches Jony Ive-designed Christmas tree festive installation

Claridges hotel Jony Ive Christmas festive installation

Claridges, the most iconic 5 star hotel in London’s Mayfair, back in October commissioned Apple’s Chief Design Officer Jony Ive and his colleague Marc Newson to come up with an immersive festive installation. Saturday, Claridges showed off results of Ive and Newson’s work, reports Wallpaper.com.

The two designers collaborated with British set designer Michael Howells to reinterpret the Christmas tree by transforming Claridge’s vast grand lobby into a full-on festive installation comprising of a series of four metre-high digital light boxes on the walls that project black-and-white images of snow-capped silver birch trees.

Against this immersive backdrop, towering cast models of Scots pine rise to a canopy of natural green pine. The installation plays forest sounds, starting with a dawn chorus and including owls, nightingales, sparrows and foxes.

Specially choreographed lighting is synced to the soundscape to create “a dappled effect in the space, continuously cycling through sunrise to a celestial night scene.”

Ive and Newson explain how their festive installation for Claridges explores the relationship between nature and technology:

Our aim was to create an all-enveloping magical experience that celebrates our enormous respect for tradition while recognizing our excitement about the future and things to come. There are few things more pure and beautiful than nature, so that was our starting point, layering various iterations of organic forms with technology.

The unveiling of the Claridge’s Christmas tree has traditionally heralded the start of London’s festive season. Be sure to check out Claridge’s past Christmas tree collaborations here.

Source: Wallpaper.com