Over on Design Boom, I came across this image of a unique and charming version of a community Christmas tree. By encouraging locals to donate the materials used, the tree becomes a sort of homage to the individuals in the community and their personal history.
The tree is made up of plates and cups donated by community members in Hasselt, Belgium. The end result is stunning and represents neighbors coming together. I can't think of a better representation of the Christmas Spirit.
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(Image: Design Boom)
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totally cool
wouldn't last in Philly
What a great idea, and beautifully executed!
Beautiful. I think that if we did that here in Canada, it would be damaged by vandals. But what a lovely idea - the sentiment behind it and the way it turned out are both beautiful.
Nice idea. Wonder if it would work here in the States or would it be vandalized. Sadly, I think I know the answer.
They only use blue or white plates in Belgium?
It would work in the US if it were in the White House; that would be really cool actually, much nicer than the tree made of various ornaments by artists.
Beautiful. What do they do afterwards?
When it's time to dismantle the tree, hopefully they can donate the dishes to organizations that can use them? Soup kitchens, homeless shelters...It might be fun to write on the bottom of the dish the year in which that dish was used in the tree, if they do this annually.
Nope- I saw that they smash it all! Hoping that was wrong, but think I saw it on the news. If so, dumbasses.
PS- I really might have dreamt that. Pre-Xmas brain. I hope I am proven wrong.
What a great idea! I wish there was more of a sense of community here in the US. Sadly, I think it would just get vandalized or picked apart here :(
This is brilliant. There's no shortage of old, chipped dishes in the developed world, so a wild post-Christmas "smash the tree party" isn't exactly depriving the needy. And next year you bring another chipped dish and build a new tree.
Good point, but think about it this way- if they smash it, it might lead to a run on mosaic table tops.....
Neither tree nor plates have been smashed. Well, at least last week the tree was still there -unscaved... It's a very beautiful feature, especially at night, but a bit too small for the size of the square I find. It's less monumental than the picture shows. This tree is just one of those things that's more stunning if you watch it from up close. It's all in the details in this one.