The team at Hello Wood – a global, independent, educational platform for architects dedicated to social architecture – first presented its unique tree created from illuminated logs on Elizabeth Square in 2014. Since then, its eco-friendly trees have conquered the world. For this Yuletide, they will be standing tall not only in Kőbánya and Óbuda, but also in Kecskemét, London’s Kew Gardens and in Vienna, in the park of the Belvedere Castle. The Christmas trees, weighing several tons, will then serve the community in some kind of recycled form after the holidays. Until then, we are free to admire and even climb inside these sparkling installations.

Everyone is getting in the holiday mood: the season’s first major snowfall has already fallen, the illuminated advent trams have taken off and the eco-friendly Christmas trees of Hello Wood are standing proudly at five different locations. The Architizer A + Award Winner architect team is known for its creative public installations and street furniture, as well as its wooden pieces erected at the Sziget Festival and the Valley of Arts Festival. This year, the teams has built more charity trees than ever since 2014: two in Budapest and one in Kecskemét, London and Vienna.

The 16-meter-tall, 40-ton installation on Szent Lélek Square in Óbuda is built from high-quality acacia logs. The team of Hello Wood will knock down the tree after the Epiphany, January 6, so that the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta can distribute the firewood among families in need. The various installations are not only symbols of the holiday cheer and cooperation, but also draw attention to the thousands of families across the country who struggle to keep their homes warm. The concept is similar to Hello Wood’s previous Charity Tree in 2015, praised by the BBC.

The other tree in Budapest is located in Kőbánya, at Szent László Square, and has similar grandiose dimensions to the one in Óbuda. After January 6, the local government will distribute the firewood among families in the area. The charity trees built in Hungary will provide more than 60 Hungarian families with firewood for the whole winter season.

The trees in Kew Gardens, London and the park of Belvedere Castle, Vienna are each made from 400 Hungarian-made sleds. In London, the tree is decorated with the light painting of the French mapping artist and founder of Creatmosphere, Laurent Louyer, while Vienna’s is illuminated by lighting design company, Visual Europe Group.