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11 of the Strangest and Most Unusual Christmas Trees

These Christmas trees are for sure out of the ordinary and full of creativity.

By: THURSD. | 06-12-2023 | 5 min read
How It Works Christmas Designs
Rare Christmas trees

To kick off and celebrate the Christmas season, look at these ten unique Christmas tree designs, which you'll see, are very rare and unusual. They include a tree trapped inside a giant ice cube, an upside-down tree, a Monstera tree, and a tree suspended upside-down from the ceiling. Want to see them all? Keep reading.

Imaginative and Unusual Interpretations of Christmas Trees

Ready to get your mind blown away with these 11 very rare Christmas trees? They're nothing like the conventional, colorful, and huge trees you see lit up during the festivities. These have a strange way of expressing Christmas but all in all, they do represent X-mas!

1. Upside-Down Christmas Tree in the UK by Shirazeh Houshiary

In 2016, artist Shirazeh Houshiary created this upside-down Christmas tree for London's Tate Britain, which was hung from the Millbank building's ceiling. Houshiary used gold leaf to highlight a hidden part of the pine tree while embracing the natural texture, color, shape, and smell of the rest of the tree.

 

Shirazeh Houshiarys rare Christmas tree
Photo: Shirazeh Houshiary

 

2. Tokyo Midtown Christmas Tree in Japan by Nendo

This Christmas tree designed by Japanese design studio Nendo was installed this year in the Tokyo Midtown shopping center and features star-shaped cut-outs that flutter in a rhythmic pattern. The white tree is 7.5 meters tall and has a polyhedral surface composed of flat metal panels. Behind the panels are 416 compact fans that are programmed to move the cut-outs and down around the tree.

 

Takumi Otas Christmas tree design in Tokyo
Photo: Takumi Ota

 

3. Frozen Christmas Tree in the UK by Alex Chinneck

For this installation at King's Cross in London in 2016, British artist Alex Chinneck appeared to freeze a Christmas tree in a giant ice cube. Chinneck confined the five-metre-tall Christmas tree with a two-tonne block of resin and added a surrounding puddle of wax to simulate melting ice.

 

Frozen Christmas tree in the UK by Alex Chinneck
Photo: Iwona Pinkowicz

 

4. Alternative Christmas Tree Sculpture in Denmark by SOM

Instead of a traditional Christmas tree, American architecture firm SOM created a lattice pavilion in the courtyard of Denmark's Utzon Center. Visitors entered the sculpture through openings at the base that resembled the pyramidal shape of trees.

 

Alternative Christmas Tree Sculpture in Denmark by SOM
Photo: @allantoftphotographer

 

5. Long Live the Christmas Tree in the UK by Multiple Designers

This holiday season, the historic Harewood House in West Yorkshire hosted an exhibition of unconventional Christmas trees titled Long Live the Christmas Tree. The country house displayed 11 designs inspired by the estate created by artists, designers, and craftspeople, including this unfurling paper spiral tree by paper artist Andy Singleton.

 

Long Live the Christmas Tree in the UK by Multiple Designers
Photo: Tom Arber

 

6. Sanderson Hotel Christmas Tree in the UK by Yinka Ilori

Yinka Ilori, a British designer, created this abstract Christmas tree for the lobby of London's Sanderson Hotel, which was illuminated from within the timber-slatted structure. Its geometric shape was also intended to evoke a stack of gifts, with five different colored shapes layered on top of one another.

 

Sanderson Hotel Christmas Tree in the UK by Yinka Ilori
Photo: @yinka_ilori

 

7. Upper House Hotel Christmas Tree in Hong Kong by Lasvit and Yabu Pushelberg

This tree-shaped installation by Czech glass brand Lasvit and design firm Yabu Pushelberg is made up of handblown elongated glass lights and champagne-gold polished brass fittings. The glass elements were arranged in a diamond pattern and had delicate hand-etched grooves in the lobby of Hong Kong's Upper House Hotel.

 

Upper House Hotel Christmas Tree
Photo: Yabu Pushelberg

 

8. Electric Nemeton in the UK by Sam Jacob Studio

Practice of architecture When designing Electric Nemeton, a display made up of elevated obelisks at Granary Square in London's King's Cross, Sam Jacob Studio aimed to create a futuristic interpretation of Christmas trees. The cluster of green pyramids was raised four meters above the ground on steel 'trunks' to resemble a forest of trees and was illuminated at night.

 

Electric Nemeton in the UK by Sam Jacob Studio
Photo: @clickclickjim

 

9. Tree of Glass in the UK by Lee Broom

The Tree of Glass installation, which was displayed inside The Shard in 2017, was inspired by the skyscraper's triple-story atrium. The tree was created in collaboration with the glassware brand Nude and was made up of 245 individual hand-blown glass pendant lights. Following the Christmas season, the Tree of Glass was dismantled and sold as individual lighting products, with proceeds going to The British Red Cross.

 

Famous Christmas tree made of glass
Photo: @daveycleveland

 

10. Temenos in the UK by Liliane Lijn

Temenos, an 11.3-meter-tall abstract structure made up of multicolored glowing neon poles designed by American artist Liliane Lijn, was also on display at Granary Square in King's Cross. The 19 different length poles were arranged in a conical shape with an opening that allowed visitors to walk inside it while being surrounded by neon lighting strips.

 

Temenos in the UK by Liliane Lijn
Photo: Liliane Lijn

 

11. Monstera Christmas Tree

Any swiss cheese plant fan out there? If you adore the presence of this special plant during the entire year, no worries, you can even create your own Monstera Christmas tree! Yes, just like you read it. Here are a few of the most unique and strangest Monstera trees which you don't usually see during the festivities because in fact everyone knows that green trees do take over but why not get creative? These trees express a boost of creativity without a doubt.

 

Monstera Xmas trees in pink tones
Photos: @cyrilcybernated

 

Nonetheless, they are a very creative way of expressing your love for this plant during the holidays. Which is your favorite? These rare trees combine pink, white, gold, and even green tones and they're all in to conquer the Xmas season!

Are you more of a traditional Christmas tree person or do you lean towards the rare designs? Both celebrate the feeling of Christmas for sure!

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