#MARBLE ARCH MOUND FREE#

“We can make much better use of this space all year round, by having a street food market once a week, or something that has entertainment and music. Paul Docker, 56, who lives around the corner from the attraction, was equally scathing about the project, saying from concept to completion, it was a waste of money. “You see a lot of homeless people around here, they could spend money on something that would actually help people and the area, rather than wasting time on a hill.” “It’s not worth it,” says Shahrukh Khan, 26, who works in the Candy Surprise confectionery shop directly opposite the mound. The £2m cost of the project has also attracted derision, with an entrance fee of £4.50 working out at around 3p per step to climb the 134 steps to the viewing platform. 'We’re sorry for the delay and look forward to welcoming visitors when they’re ready to enjoy all the Mound has to offer.' We’ll continue to adapt and improve London’s newest outdoor attraction and resolve any teething problems as they emerge. Westminster council said: 'The Mound is a living building by design. Installed to attract visitors back to central London's shopping district after the impact of the pandemic and repeated lockdowns, the mound is a temporary scaffolding structure which is expected to remain until January.Īnnouncing the project in February, MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas said the mound was a 'wonderful opportunity to give an impulse to a highly recognisable location in London'. Some original computer-generated images may also have excluded some trees to show the mound in a more prominent way, she added. Irene Start at MVRDV said the mound was a little smaller than originally planned, affecting the views.Īt 72ft, the viewing platform is slightly lower than the surrounding trees. Marketing consultant Dan Barker took to Twitter to share some photos of the mound: “You can't really see the park, as I presume it was designed in winter, and summer has filled the view with trees.” Initial designs, created by world-renowned architects MVRDV, promised a winding 82ft path through trees and plants ending in never before seen views of central London and Hyde Park. “It looked more attractive when it just had the silver scaffolding up,” she added. “I’m a war baby so it reminds me of that bunker in St James’ Park, almost as if it’s camouflage for what’s underneath,” said Julia Couchman, 79.

“It looks like a mess,” said Barbara Smith, 62, whose view of Hyde Park from a bench next to Marble Arch was obstructed by the man-made hill. However, that did little to dampen the criticism.

#MARBLE ARCH MOUND FREE#

The site's bare and sparse appearance is a sharp contrast to the lush green landscape envisioned in the project’s planning proposals, and has come in for particular criticism from bemused pedestrians staring at its shape rising above piles of rubbish.įollowing a disastrous launch, Westminster City Council said visitors during the first week would receive a refund and a free second visit. Staff at the mound this week admitted the attraction was not fully finished, despite officially opening on Monday. Visitors, business owners and even the London Philharmonia orchestra variously branded it a “hill of rubble”, “the worst attraction in London”, and similar to “seven minutes of work on Minecraft ''. Unfortunately, the new £2m tourist attraction now towering majestically over shoppers at Marble Arch has not met with universal acclaim since opening this week. It already has globally renowned restaurants, theatres bursting with talent and some of the world's most famous department stores.īut as the West End sought to mount a post-Covid comeback, Westminster Council decided one vital ingredient was missing for its success - a 72ft high artificial hill.

Marble arch mound