In a bid to enliven the city centre and spread festive season cheer, the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) has fabric-wrapped more than 550 trees in the colours of Christmas – with sparkly tinsel to boot.
The project is one of several undertaken each year by the Urban Management department to uplift the urban landscape and create a positive vibe in town as thousands of local, national, and international visitors flood into the city centre to enjoy the holiday season.
Kally Benito, Urban Management manager, says the aim of the project is to “transform the cityscape into a festive wonderland by creating a visually striking symphony of textures and colours that lift the spirits of passersby and promote a feeling of unity”.
She says: “Through this beautification project we would like to remind people of the spirit of the season and promote unity and togetherness. This initiative complements the 120 festive-themed hanging baskets which the department has installed in St Georges Mall.”
Trees have been wrapped in green and red fabric with tinsel of all colours of the rainbow including blue and magenta.
Tasso Evangelinos, CCID CEO, says the aim is to create a joyful mood and promote footfall in town. They have already garnered a very positive response from office workers and members of the public.
The trees can be seen in highly pedestrianised areas such as Thibault Square and St Georges Mall, as well as the Heerengracht meridian, and along Bree, Adderley and Waterkant streets.
