A Show-Stopping Civic Centre Christmas Transformation
Project overview
For the 2025 festive season, The Factory partnered with the City of Stirling to custom design and deliver a suite of Commercial Christmas Displays for the community at the Stirling Civic Centre.
The brief: create a memorable, family-friendly experience that felt unmistakably traditional, photographed beautifully, and encouraged visitors to explore the full forecourt.
Our solution was a cohesive white and red traditional Christmas theme, brought to life through large-scale feature pieces, interactive elements, and branded wayfinding that guided visitors through multiple moments across the site.
Discover and click here to watch the City of Stirling’s video featuring all our decorations.
Designing an experience (not just displays)
From the start, we approached this project as a walk-through experience. Every element was designed to:
- Create a strong focal point from arrival
- Encourage movement through the space
- Offer multiple photo opportunities
- Provide moments to pause, sit, and enjoy the atmosphere
- Maintain a consistent colour palette and styling across the entire forecourt
The hero feature: An 8m interactive spiral Commercial Christmas tree
At the centre of the experience stood an 8-metre-tall white and red spiral Christmas tree – a bold, contemporary take on a classic icon. This feature was designed to be interactive, allowing visitors to walk underneath the structure. To enhance the sense of discovery, we introduced interactive elf feet and Santa boot floor decals and branded elements that guided guests through the space and reinforced the City of Stirling identity.
A dazzling bauble zone with seating
To create a dedicated ‘photo and pause’ area, we designed a dazzling interactive bauble with a seating zone, paired with two smaller matching baubles. Together, these pieces formed a defined zone, perfect for:
- Family photos
- Group selfies
- A quiet moment of reflection
- A comfortable place to sit while taking in the atmosphere
A striking traditional tunnel with hanging red baubles
To add a sense of immersion and movement, we designed and installed a traditional festive tunnel adorned with hanging red baubles beneath the arch. The result was a captivating walkway that drew visitors forward and created a strong visual rhythm – especially effective in photos and evening lighting.
Walk-through star feature and selfie characters
To keep the experience playful and spread engagement across the forecourt, we included:
- A festive walk-through star
- A selection of scattered selfie-character displays positioned across the ground plane
These elements ensured there were multiple stops throughout the site, encouraging visitors to explore beyond the hero feature.
Skyline magic: sleigh and reindeers above the entrance
To create a sense of spectacle from a distance – and elevate the experience beyond ground-level Christmas displays – we positioned a sleigh and reindeers along the skyline above the building entrance.
This feature added instant festive storytelling and created a memorable arrival moment for visitors approaching the Civic Centre.
The focal transformation: Luna Sculpture becomes Santa’s star
The most magical moment of the project was the transformation of the Lina Sculpture.
We reimagined Lina as a festive focal piece by:
- Adding a huge Santa hat
- Wrapping her branch in candy cane fairy lights
- Placing two oversized presents at her feet
This transformation connected the existing civic artwork to the Christmas experience – making it feel site-specific, thoughtful, and uniquely Stirling.
The result: a cohesive, camera-ready forecourt for the whole community
With a consistent colour palette, coordinated styling, and multiple interactive zones, the Stirling Civic Centre forecourt became a striking festive destination – designed for both experience and photography.
The final installation delivered:
- A cohesive white-and-red traditional theme across the entire site
- Multiple interactive and walk-through features
- Dedicated photo zones and seating areas
- A strong skyline statement visible from approach
- A community-focused space that invited everyone to enjoy the season
Ready to create a Christmas destination?
If you’re planning a festive activation for your centre, precinct, or civic space, The Factory can help you turn it into an experience people talk about for weeks.
From concept and custom design through to fabrication and installation, we create commercial Christmas displays that are cohesive, durable, and built to perform in real public spaces.
Want to make your next Christmas display bigger, brighter, and unforgettable?
Get in touch with The Factory to start planning your 2026 festive season – early planning means better concepts, smoother delivery, and a stronger result on the ground.