One of the most delightful things about London every winter is seeing the capital fill with Christmas lights. Shopfronts are transformed, and fairy lights shine down from above throughout the evenings. So what if you combined twinkling Christmas displays with London’s tallest building? Well, that’s exactly what’s happening this December, when the Shard will transform into the highest Advent calendar in the city.
From December 1, the Shard will be taken over each evening with a Christmassy display – turning the London skyline into a festive countdown to Christmas. At 4pm, each day’s new Advent design will be revealed. A sequence will play four times an hour, every 15 minutes, showing an illuminated Advent number before a door of light opens to reveal that day’s festive artwork.
And here’s where a charming Christmassy story becomes heartwarming. You might remember that last year’s Christmas display at the Shard was inspired by amateur artist Gustavo Zuluaga Villegas, who has been part of the housekeeping team at the Shard for eight years. And this year, even more of the Shard’s community is getting involved; each of the Advent displays has been co-created by its long-serving occupiers, staff, and their families.
The Shard Advent calendar
The Advent calendar will light up the top 20 storeys of the Shard. Thanks to the display’s own impressive size, and the Shard’s own height – it stands a whopping 310 metres high – the Advent calendar will be visible from up to 40 miles away.
As mentioned above, the designs have come directly from the Shard’s own community. The children of people who work within the landmark have worked alongside contemporary abstract artist Kinga Szulakowska, who is also Director of Housekeeping at Shangri-La The Shard, London, to create the Advent displays. Together they’ve brought their imaginations to life, illuminating the London skyline.
Said Kinga Szulakowska: “It has been a real pleasure bringing the ideas of the children to life. We encouraged them to explore simple shapes, bold colours and what Christmas means to them, and it has been wonderful to see their imaginations transformed into artwork that will illuminate The Shard. Knowing that something created by our own community will be seen by people across London makes this project particularly special.”
Once the countdown (or count-up?) to Christmas has finished, the Shard’s Christmassy display will remain in place a while longer. From December 25 to January 5, across the Twelve Days of Christmas, the festive animations will continue to illuminate the Shard’s upper floors.
🎄 For live updates on The Shard Christmas lights display, follow along on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
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