Tree of Ténéré

The Tree of Ténéré is a symbol of life flourishing in harsh conditions. Inspired by the solitary tree once found in the Sahara, it recalls a place of gathering, ritual, and rest. DRIFT uses technology guided by natural intelligence to generate a tree structure digitally, then brings it into the physical world as a close representation of a possible reality. The installation creates space for people to come together and feel emotional resonance.

What began as a project management role grew into a full production assignment. Fourteen pallets of components arrived at our workshop while we were still building out the space. This project was the reason TEAL moved into its current 500 square metre facility in The Hague. We scaled the team to ten people and set up a dedicated production line for the twig assemblies. The canopy was entirely new, designed to withstand outdoor conditions in Dallas. We developed the assembly process, coordinated with specialist suppliers for the electronic and structural components, and assembled all twigs over several months. Once complete, we packed the canopy into custom crates for shipping to Dallas, then spent several weeks on site mounting it piece by piece.