One of my favorite design studio Nendo recently created a gold-colored Christmas tree for the Tokyo Midtown shopping center in Roppongi, Tokyo, putting the whole of Tokyo and me in a Christmassy mood! The beautiful tree features kinetic cutouts, which were designed to mimic “sparkling lights”.

Designer: Nendo

Standing tall at 7.5 meters, the stunning Christmas tree has been placed in the middle of the shopping center and boasts a polyhedral surface crafted from flat metal panels that create a pyramid as a result of being bolted together. The panels feature little fluttering stars, and behind them are positioned 416 small and compact fans. The fans have been designed to move the panels in different patterns – up, down, and across the tree.

“The pieces not only sway and move with the wind but can also stop swinging in the air catching the wind at the programmed timing. By continuously receiving a certain amount of airflow, the pieces also float upward in a sustained manner,” said Nendo. The star-shaped patterns were designed to resemble sparkling lights and seemed to be swirling or flowing rhythmically around the tree, in a mesmerizing up-and-down pattern. Cutouts in the same color, that is matte champagne gold, have been hung from the ceiling.

“The theme glitter in the air translates to creating the uplifting and shimmering atmosphere, the very essence of Christmas, by literally generating ‘glitters’ by ‘air’,” said Nendo. These glittery and beautiful pieces are positioned on Tokyo Midtown’s garden terrace as well as its galleria and atrium terraces.