Come Deck the Halls! celebrates the work of the renowned post-war British architects, Alison and Peter Smithson. From the start of their careers, the Smithsons had a strong interest not only in buildings, but also the life unfolding within and around buildings.

In each of their projects they advocated for an architecture that finds fulfillment in the presence of the user and his activities. In their vision, occupation not only gives meaning to architectural spaces but can also be regarded as an art form in itself: the art of inhabitation.

Christmas is a time of year when such signs of occupancy become obvious. Every year, the objects of celebration stir people’s creativity, prompting them to take responsibility for the look of places. Alison and Peter Smithson actively engaged in this process renewing themselves each year with Christmas ephemera that often contained the seed of their subsequent work.

This exhibition provides an insight into their architectural thinking through the lens of Alison Smithson’s Christmas cards spanning from 1956 to 1992. Far from being a peripheral aspect of her family life, this series of artistic expressions served as a realm of experimentation, integral to comprehending the entirety of the couple’s work.