Marble Arch Mound
| Marble Arch Mound | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Mound under construction in early June | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Artificial hill |
| Location | Marble Arch |
| Town or city | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°30′46″N 0°09′34″W / 51.5129°N 0.1594°W |
| Opened | 26 June 2021 |
| Cost | £2 million |
| Height | 25 metres (82 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Scaffolding, turf |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | MVRDV |
| Website | |
| themarblearchmound | |
The Marble Arch Mound is a 25-metre (82 ft) high artificial hill close to Marble Arch at the western end of London's Oxford Street, with plans for an events space inside it.[1] It opened to the public on 26 July 2021.[1][2][3]
The hill is built from scaffolding covered with sedum turf and a number of trees.[4][5][2] It was designed by the architectural firm MVRDV,[2] and built at a cost of £2 million.[2] MVRDV's original plan was to cover the Marble Arch itself, but this was rejected by conservation experts who were concerned that six months of darkness may weaken the mortar joints.[5]
Days after opening, and following several complaints from disappointed visitors, Westminster City Council acknowledged that advertised elements of the Mound were "not yet ready for visitors", and closed ticket booking until August so that "teething problems" could be resolved.[4] Visitors complained that the hill did not match the marketing photos,[6] with one visitor describing it as "the worst thing I’ve ever done in London".[7]
The Mound is due to remain open until January 2022.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Why the Marble Arch Mound is a slippery slope to nowhere". The Guardian. 24 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Prynn, Jonathan (24 June 2021). "Marble Arch's £2m mound is mounting up for summer". Evening Standard.
- ^ "Man-made £2m 'Marble Arch Mound' opens to public at £8 a visit". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ a b Burford, Rachael (27 July 2021). "Marble Arch Mound branded London's 'worst attraction'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Mound zero: what is Marble Arch's new landmark all about?". The Guardian. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Hyped £2m Marble Arch Mound opens to the public but the public are unimpressed". Indy100. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Visitors to £2m Marble Arch Mound offered refunds after it is branded London's 'worst attraction'". Evening Standard. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
External links
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