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 or Marble Arch Hill is a temporary, 25-metre (82 ft) high artificial hill close to Marble Arch in London, England. It has a viewing platform on the top, and there are plans for an events space inside it. It opened to the public on 26 July 2021, but closed shortly afterwards after complaints from the first visitors. It is expected to re-open and to remain on the site until January 2022.
Description
The hill is located in the north-east corner of Hyde Park, close to Marble Arch, at the western end of London's Oxford Street. The 25-metre (82 ft) high hill[1] is built from scaffolding covered with sedum turf and a number of trees,[2][3] with 130 steps up[4] (or a lift)[5] to a viewing platform at the top and an events space inside.[1] Visitors can only walk on specified walkways and metal steps,[1] and it has a capacity of 1,000 visitors per day,[4] with a limit of 25 at a time,[6] and a total of 200,000 visitors expected.[7] It also has a shop and cafe,[4] with a 'Lightfield' exhibition by W1 Curates and Anthony James[8] planned for the future.[9]
It was commissioned by Westminster City Council, and designed by the Rotterdam-based[1] architectural firm MVRDV.[4] 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, with a corner removed from the hill to avoid covering the monument.[3] Shrinking the hill also required a change from covering the hill with soil, to using the lighter sedum turf.[10]
The aim was to boost domestic tourism;[9] to help speed up the return of shoppers to Oxford Street after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown ended;[1] and to offer views across central london, including Battersea Power Station and Canary Wharf.[2]
It was announced in February 2021,[6] with planning permission sought in the same month.[7] Construction started in May.[6] It was built at a cost of £2 million.[4]
Opening
It initially opened to the public on 26 July 2021, with its opening delayed at least once. The entrance fee was £4.50–8.00.[1][2][5] It was described by The Guardian as "[looking] parched and patchy, more like an ensemble of ill-matched carpet tiles than a greensward. The trees were looking skinnier and less luxurious than the computer-generated promotional images had suggested."[1] It was compared to the hill from the children's show Teletubbies, and computer games such as The Sims and Minecraft.[9]
Visitors complained that the hill did not match the marketing photos,[9] with one visitor describing it as "the worst thing I’ve ever done in London", and commenting that it's not possible to view the park from the hill due to trees in the way - but it is possible to view a rubble pile.[4] 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] and so that it could have "time to bed in and grow."[11] MVRDV said that "working with plants is unpredictable, especially in challenging weather conditions".[10] The first visitors to the hill were offered refunds and a free return ticket.[4]
The Mound is due to remain open until 9 January 2022,[8] at which time the trees would be distributed around Westminster and to local schools,[2][12] and other greenery recycled.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Why the Marble Arch Mound is a slippery slope to nowhere". The Guardian. 24 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d Prynn, Jonathan (24 June 2021). "Marble Arch's £2m mound is mounting up for summer". Evening Standard.
- ^ a b c "Mound zero: what is Marble Arch's new landmark all about?". The Guardian. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Burford, Rachael (27 July 2021). "Marble Arch Mound branded London's 'worst attraction'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Man-made £2m 'Marble Arch Mound' opens to public at £8 a visit". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ a b c Waywell, Chris (13 May 2021). "Work has started on the big artificial hill at Marble Arch". Time Out London.
- ^ a b "Marble Arch 'mound' plan to lure visitors back to West End with 25m-high hill set to provide sweeping views". www.msn.com. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Marble Arch Mound – Oxford Street District". Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Hyped £2m Marble Arch Mound opens to the public but the public are unimpressed". Indy100. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Marble Arch Mound has a "serious message" says MVRDV in defence of attraction". Dezeen. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ CNN, Julia Buckley. "Marble Arch Mound: London's newest attraction is a heap of earth". CNN. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
{{cite news}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - ^ "The Marble Arch Mound – Oxford Street District". Retrieved 30 July 2021.