Tailor-made for the “Mallory Wishes Come True” event at 7 Mallory Street, “Mallory Wishing Tree” is an interactive spatial and lighting installation for the Urban Renewal Authority that responds to a Banyan tree that once grew on the site from a seed carried there by a bird. By making a wish through the Seed of Hope, at the center of Mallory Tree, or via the 8 interactive aerial tree roots, wishes will be shared and delivered in colourful and radiant customized light effects echoing in Wan Chai and the rest of the community.

The story of the “Mallory Wishing Tree” all started from the banyan tree once growing at 7 Mallory Street (M7), which is a cluster of pre-war tenement buildings built in the 1910s. According to Mr. Peter Wong, the son of Madam Wong Chan Ah Wan, the former owner of No. 6-8 Burrows Street, “I remember that there was once a banyan tree growing on the roof top of No.6. A bird must have sowed a seed on the rooftop and it gradually grew into a sizable tree. We had worries that it would cause potential leakage issues to the buildings. We unavoidably had the banyan tree removed.”

Banyan trees are versatile in forms and can grow sizably, flourishing and spreading with their aerial roots, and are long-lived. Their characteristics are widely symbolized with the meaning of vitality and fortune. Now after decades of time, the banyan tree has reappeared in a modern version and aided with latest technology. M7 will also feature a spectacular light show Mallory Symphony at designated times of the day, taking us to a journey from the cinematic world in 50s and 60s, the bustling Wan Chai business hub in 70s and 80s, to the digital era of information explosion today.

「茂蘿街許願樹」是一個利用光影及嶄新科技創作的互動裝置，將祝福傳達到灣仔及社區。參加者只要進入許願樹內的「許願種子」，進行個人「許願體驗」，或透過許願樹內各條互動榕樹氣根，將願望傳送到許願樹上，枝葉間便會發放個人專屬的光影效果，將祝福傳達。

「茂蘿街許願樹」設計源於茂蘿街7號 屋頂長出榕樹的故事。茂蘿街7號是建於1910年代的戰前唐樓，巴路士街6至8號前業主黃陳雅韞兒子黃燿佳憶述：「最有印象是試過有雀仔啣來榕樹種子，在巴路士街6號的金字屋頂上發芽長成榕樹，但同時亦令屋頂有漏水之患，不得不移除這棵飛來的榕樹。」

榕樹形態多變，枝葉茂盛，其懸垂的氣根可持續成長，屬於長壽命樹種，榕樹亦象徵了強大的生命力、帶來吉祥及福氣。數十年後，這棵昔日的屋頂榕樹，以充滿現代感的形態重現於茂蘿街7號內，成為首棵市區的光影許願樹。於每日指定時間，更會演奏出《聲光合影》燈光匯演，帶領觀眾跨越由舊灣仔五六十年代時光，穿梭到七八十年代的繁華都會，然後再一次經歷數碼資訊爆炸時代。