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uShaka Lights up

uShaka Lights up

Date: 2016-12-09
A larger than life 12.5m high custom-made Christmas tree is currently on display at uShaka for the public to enjoy up until Christmas.

The Spar Group have sponsored the making of the tree: "Our idea was to custom-make the largest Christmas tree Durban has ever seen" said Mike Prentice, SPAR Group Marketing Director. "We wanted the tree to be 100% made in South Africa and lit by a multitude of LED lights - all locally designed and manufactured"

The metal-based tree has been designed and assembled by Nevon Singh and his team from Magic Lighting in Montclair, south of Durban, using locally made components and lights.

In the region of 74 000 LED bulbs and 2 000 meters of cabling went into the tree. 15 staff spent approx 4 158 labour hours making the custom-made structure and components.

"Our idea was to custom-make the largest Christmas tree Durban has ever seen". "We wanted the tree to be 100% made in South Africa and lit by a multitude of LED lights - all locally designed and manufactured. We want to revisit the nostalgia of Christmas and create a beautiful and iconic statement in a public place which can be enjoyed by both residents and visitors."

The idea was inspired by the vast Christmas decorations in Rockefeller Centre in New York, the gigantic fibre optic tree which adorns Sydney; whimsical decorations in Vienna and olde-style department store windows. Nothing quite similar exists in this country yet. It looks magical - like something straight out of a children's story book.

Displayed alongside the tree are an array of fantasy sea creatures made by Robin Opperman, Ujala Sewpersad and their team from Umcebo Design. They have made 14 huge mixed media fish, two enormous jelly-fish and five starfish using coke/milk bottles, Bonnox mesh and bottletops.

"We are playing to the paradox that the tree will be decorated by fish made completely from recycled and found materials - using the very objects which play a role in destroying our marine biodiversity, to send out a message of the importance of recycling and reusing," considers Robin Opperman from Umcebo.

Pic by: Christopher Laurenz