In 2003 the Victoria and Albert Museum commissioned Tord Boontje and Alexander McQueen to create a Christmas Tree for the main entrance hall.

The collaboration built on the years that Boontje was designing eyewear and watches for McQueen and their mutual connection with Swarovski crystals.

They designed a 6-meter tall tree, made from crystal, slowly rotating on a turntable and surrounded by mirrors.

The sparkling rotating tree is mesmerising, like a dancer on a music box, and also frosty, wintery and futuristic.

Silent Light is made from 150,000 Swarovski crystals. Today, the tree can be seen in the Snow Room at Swarovski Kristallwelten in Wattens, Austria.

design drawing for Silent Light
Studio Tord Boontje 2003