You know that the Holidays are just around the corner when London’s iconic The Shard lights up. The tallest building in the UK unveiled its annual decorative lighting exactly one month before the Christmas celebration. But there’s something that makes this year stand out in comparison to others. Instead of hiring acclaimed artists, the 2025 decoration was made by Shard employees. Twelve amateur artists, currently employed in various positions such as housekeeping, security, accounting, or video editing, have been chosen to transform the city’s landmark for the upcoming season.
The Shard’s talented employees
Gustavo Zuluaga Villegas, a self-taught artist and member of the housekeeping team, has led the project that turned a tellest building in London into a dynamic 60-minute delight. The artist, who’s been painting for over 35 years, has rediscovered his talent while watching his daughter play during the pandemic. Caitlin McDonald, Marketing Manager and the creator of The London in Motion: A Tall Tale of One City, has found inspiration in London’s light and constant motion. According to her own words, McDonald wanted to:
“Capture the colour, energy, and humanity that make the capital feel alive, exploring the contrast between the chaos and the calm through video and motion. “
The lighting installation contains 12 sequences, including a starry night scene, a reindeer, and the word “London” spelt out on the building’s highest floors. The project that celebrates the artistic talent of the staff is the company’s most ambitious project yet, and it’s longest-running light show. The project that debuted on November 25th at 4 pm will continue to run every night until New Year’s Eve from 4 pm-midnight, and again from 5:30 am – 7:30 am. Other artists involved in the project include Valdas Dragunas, (Deputy Security Operations Manager, Shard Quarter), Sarah James, (Head of FP&A), Mitie Michelle Hird, (Illustrator, Sage), Linh Wales, (Digital Illustrator, ), Adam Hypki, (Graphic Designer, Gallup), Hyatt Saba, (Data Governance Manager, Sage), Maddy Hope, (Illustrator/Animator, Sage), Besnik Mehmed, (Senior News and Documentary Video Editor, Al Jazeera), Kate Ross, (Digital Designer, Kraft Heinz), Rahat Badar, (Legal Contracts Manager, Foresight Group LLP).
Shard Light, the annual festive display
Standing tall at 310m high (1,016 ft), The Shard is known for being Europe’s first vertical city. The building, designed in 2009 by the Italian architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop, contains offices of 32 companies spanning over 26 floors, accompanied by 13 floors of residences. Restaurants have been spread across three floors, while the 19th floor is reserved for the five-star Shangri-La Hotel. The highest Open Air viewing platform in the world occupies the 72nd floor of the landmark building, providing an unrivalled 360-degree view. Every year, the popular tourist attraction graces the visitors and Londoners with a mesmerising light display spanning over its top 20 stories. Visible from 40 miles away, the light installation employs 575 energy-efficient LED lights with themed sequences that change hourly.
