‘Highlighting the disconnection city dwellers experience away from natural conditions.’
Project: CITY WOODLAND
The design seeks to create a forest like experience in central London, increasing in density at the key gateways.
The approach to the gateways intensifies for the shopper, who will be immersed under enlarged Christmas tree trunks and canopies. The design is based on the most prevalent Christmas tree in the United Kingdom, the Norway spruce and the branches, bark and proportions are synonymous with Christmas. The branches do not need to be adorned with additional lights as the branches and trunks form the basis of the decoration and spectacle. From a far, the shopper will experience the height of the trees.
The daily reveal moment will be the increase (‘growth’) in height of the main (more realistic in appearance) tree, utilising upward facing light beams. Each night, the tree will reach the maximum height at 9pm (or adjusted to match the Christmas opening hours of the shops) and will reduce in height until 12am.
The large, central trunk at main junctions, symbolises the Christmas tree and shoppers with presents underneath. The scheme can be increased in scale accordingly and when more money becomes available. All parts are component based and can be manufactured in controlled conditions and suspended above Oxford Street.
Suspended light units will provide the main light source for the trees and will shine light in an upward and downward direction and will seek to represent a forest at street level. These will be suspended from cables fixed to surrounding buildings. Shoppers will walk around and through the forest. Existing trees along Oxford Street and side streets will add to the spectacle. Branches of the canopy will consist of modular casing and will be lit from within to provide an even, 3-dimensional appearance.
The central ‘main’ trees will look to utilise projections onto a canvas, possible holograms and light beams to add height. The premise behind the scheme is to offer the shopper in Oxford Street a novel experience of a forest in an urban environment and a close connection to a Christmas tree on a large scale. The light-filled urban forest will also highlight the disconnection city dwellers experience away from natural conditions. The scheme would benefit from an aromatic sensory experience provided at the main junctions. Visitors would smell pine needles as they arrive or leave Oxford Street at the key gateways. This could be achieved through natural oils from the pine needle, deposited in pods and vessels.
The light beams are designed to face upwards and downwards and will emit soft light, with the intensity of light increasing towards the key gateways. This urban forest of light would be unique to London.
