Architects: Hello Wood
Year: 2013
Photography: Dániel Dömölky
Lead Architects: András Huszár
Design Team: Hello Wood
Materials: Wood; Steel; Sledges
Client: Telekom Hungary
City/Location: Budapest
Country: Hungary

Installed in front of Budapest’s Palace of Arts, the Christmas Tree by Hello Wood reinterprets a familiar seasonal symbol through architecture, craft, and social responsibility. Standing approximately 11 meters tall, the temporary installation is composed of 365 wooden sledges mounted onto a custom-built structural frame. While visually resembling a traditional Christmas tree from a distance, the project reveals a layered narrative upon closer engagement, one that combines public space activation with a charitable afterlife. Designed and constructed within a single week, the structure was engineered to withstand winter conditions through a heavily weighted base and a precisely assembled timber skeleton. Beyond its visual presence, the installation was conceived as a socially conscious gesture. After the holiday period, the sledges were dismantled and distributed to children from SOS Children’s Village, supported by Telekom Hungary. The project demonstrates how temporary architecture can extend its value beyond spectacle, offering both experiential and tangible benefits while challenging conventional notions of festive decoration.

Hello Wood projects are driven by innovation, social responsibility, and an unwavering passion for great design. We work with wood and other sustainable materials to ensure our projects are eco-friendly and socially relevant. Through our work, we aim to raise awareness, encourage community building, and bring architecture closer to the general public.
Interview with András Huszár of Hello Wood

Christmas tree installation / hello wood

Rather than treating the Christmas tree as a purely decorative object, Hello Wood approached the installation as an opportunity to question how temporary architecture can meaningfully engage public life. Positioned in front of the Palace of Arts, the structure invites initial familiarity, then gradually subverts expectation through material honesty and purpose-driven design. The choice of sledges was deliberate, referencing winter traditions while avoiding the excess and visual noise often associated with commercial holiday displays.

The installation was constructed around a timber frame rising more than ten meters, fabricated by Hello Wood’s own carpenters and assembled on site with the aid of cranes and welded connections. Over four days, sledges were systematically fixed to the frame, forming a dense yet permeable surface that allowed visitors to enter the interior and experience the space from within. The base, weighing over four and a half tons, ensured stability against winter winds and underscored the project’s structural rigor despite its temporary nature.

For the studio, social awareness was embedded not as an abstract message but as a functional outcome. As articulated by the design team, the intention was to create an installation whose components retained value after dismantling. Two weeks after Christmas, the sledges were donated to children supported by SOS Children’s Village, transforming the architectural gesture into a direct act of giving. With the support of Telekom Hungary, the project demonstrated how design can bridge symbolism and utility, leaving a legacy that extends well beyond the festive season.

Through this installation, Hello Wood reaffirmed its commitment to experimentation, craftsmanship, and social engagement, positioning architecture not only as a visual statement but as a catalyst for shared cultural and humanitarian exchange.