The Trees
Stockwood Discovery Center, Luton, UK
April - December 2022
Design
Jin Choi and Thomas Shine
Structural Engineering
Thomas Shine
James Axley - PhD, MS, MArch, BS
(Emeritus) Professor Yale School of Architecture
Kirsty Sutherland BEng CEng MIStructE
James Parker CEng MICE MEng MA
EXPEDITION
Installation
Unity Contracting Company
Special Thanks to:
Mike, Discovery Center
Colin Ward and Dilys Ogilvie-Ward
Sean Nicholls
Farhat Noreen
Building Assembly Volunteers
Aiden Carpenter
Alan Wicks
Andy Russell
Brian Morvan
Chris Broomes
Claudette Satchell
David Lusted
Fahim Qureshi
Hugh Tessier
John Berezansky
Kalima
Mick Hale
Phil Russell
Sam Javid
All images © 2022 Choi+Shine Architects
The lace Trees celebrate Luton’s industrial tradition and craftsmanship of lace making, while symbolically weaving different people and cultures of Luton, and the past with the future of the city. Generally, lace is used as an embellishment, a special celebration for milestones of our life. The Trees in lace are feminine, intricate and transparent, creating visual poetry that celebrates the Luton’s cultural heritage and ultimately, the new departure of the city for the future.
The Trees interact with natural light during the day, and glow when illuminated at night. At night, the mysteriously glowing large tree in lace create a sense of magic as if we are transported to different time and place. Mysteriously glowing, diaphanous trees invite visitors to come in to see the people, park and the sky and rediscover their world through this visual filter. At night, the occupants will glow within the lacy room, creating an illusion of ethereal levitation, while the they become part of the artwork. During the day, the lace surface of the Trees reflects, absorb and retransmit sunlight, casting intricate, patterned shadow that creates a visual interplay of light.
The design and images of The Trees are copyright 2019 - 2022 Choi+Shine Architects and may not be used without written permission.
