A ‘Tree-Cycle” – A sustainable Christmas tree made out of recycled bicycle parts.
Leading sustainable architectural practice Sarah Wigglesworth Architects has created a bespoke Christmas tree for the Square.
The 35 wheels incorporated in the design are on loan from UK charity Re~Cycle who are committed to providing cheap, sustainable transport in Africa. The charity collects redundant bicycle parts to restore bicycles, which are then shipped to Africa for use by local people and health workers coping with the AIDS epidemic. Additional reflectors which act as fairy lights (without the need for energy) were kindly donated by local cycling shops Evans Cycles and On Your Bike, both on Tooley Street and Re~Cycle.
The design has been manufactured as a kit of parts for future storage and reassembly. The structure breaks down into small elements, therefore it is easy to store on site and there is no need for transport. It will be reused every year.
Hatton Metalcraft fabricated and built the tree in one week and together with Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, Oblique Workshops and Structural Engineer’s Teckniker it was erected in the Square in a matter of hours.
Special thanks to: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, Oblique Workshops, Teckniker, Re~Cycle, Evans Cycles, On Your Bike and The London Cycling Campaign