Television Centre has announced its Christmas tree this year is being designed by British designer and creative consultant Matilda Goad. Known for her uncanny ability to tap into the zeitgeist, the twelve-metre-tall showstopper will be lit from Wednesday 18th November and will sit on the iconic forecourt of Television Centre, the re-imagined former home of the BBC in White City.

Commissioned by Stanhope, Mitsui Fudosan and AIMCo, ‘The JOY Tree,’ is Matilda Goad’s first major outdoor Christmas installation. Traditional baubles with bow detailing will be paired with jovial oversized letters in brightly coloured metallics, inspired by Quality Street wrappers, to present an eye-catching installation filled with light and reflection.

Designing ‘a tree with purpose’ informed the starting point for Matilda Goad’s creative process. Students of local school, Jack Tizard, have provided the inspiration for the decorative words dotted within the whimsical tree, loosely spelling out feelings of hope and positivity as well as memories associated with the holiday season. Presented as a word search, a signage system will accompany the tree to locate the hidden words and discover the story behind them, whilst a QR code will unlock a festive playlist curated by EM & ME especially for The JOY Tree, offering a fun and interactive element for visitors.

Matilda Goad, Creative Director of the Christmas tree at Television Centre commented: “This was a really exciting and fun project for me. With it having been such a strange and challenging year for many, my design vision was to create a Christmas tree with purpose which would offer a beacon of hope for 2021. It was especially important that the words within the tree came from the future voices of the generations.”

The designer joins a leading-line up of collaborators at Television Centre. A collection of design-led premium apartment interiors have previously been curated by fashion designer Bella Freud, interior designer Fran Hickman and Waldo Works, and Matilda Goad is the latest name to continue this creative legacy.