These decorative top hats are installed on Rua Adelino Veiga in Coimbra (Portugal), as part of an initiative linked to the city’s academic identity.
The goal is not merely to beautify the street: it is to visually showcase one of the most recognizable symbols of the University of Coimbra—the top hat, associated with graduating students and the Queima das Fitas tradition. It was an initiative of the Coimbra City Council in May 2025.
In Coimbra’s academic tradition, colors identify the different faculties, just as the ribbons worn by students do. Thus, the installation functions almost like a giant academic palette suspended above the street. There are 442 top hats—362 small ones and 80 large ones.
This is my entry for the Shadow Hunters Community SMASh Contest—Round 440, organized by 
