London’s £2m Marble Arch Mound is mocked for looking like a ‘slag heap’ that ‘costs 6p a step’
Visitors to London’s £2m Marble Arch Mound are offered REFUNDS on £6.50 tickets one day after it opened – as it is mocked for charging people ‘6p a step’ to climb man-made grass mound that looks like a ‘slag heap’…next to one of city’s biggest parks
- Marble Arch Mound was roundly ridiculed today as tourists likened it to slag hill and retro computer graphics
- The reality of the project looked much rougher than the intended plans, which painted a lush green attraction
- One visitor said it resembled ‘seven minutes’ work on Minecraft’ computer game, while another Super Mario
- The hill was designed by world-renowned Dutch architects MVRDV who promised ‘new perspective’
- Original plan before it was approved had bizarrely covered the entire Marble Arch landmark but was vetoed
- Part of a £150million ‘fightback’ strategy to regenerate Oxford Street area with pop-up parks and eateries
- Have you been disappointed by Marble Arch Mound on a visit to London? E-mail dan.sales@mailonline.co.uk
Visitors to the ridiculed £2m Marble Arch Mound are being offered refunds – after organisers admitted ‘teething problems’ to the barren grass eyesore.
The £2million project from world-renowned architect MVRDV and City of Westminster Council had been savaged by tourists for looking little like the designer’s plans.
There have also been questions on why something so artificial-looking has been built next to the great natural expanse of green land that is Hyde Park.
The Marble Arch Mound was roundly ridiculed and likened it to a level from Nintendo game Super Mario 64, the Teletubbies’ home, or worse still ‘seven minutes of work on Minecraft’.
Amy Anne, 36, a foster carer from East London, told MailOnline: ‘It’s a bit disappointing really, because there’s not much too look at and you’ve just got all these big buildings on top of you.
‘On the website it shows the mound in full bloom, and obviously it’s early doors, but we didn’t see any flowers.
‘Also there aren’t any facilities which means people can’t go to the toilet. Thankfully they did immediately offer us a refund.
‘We didn’t even take any pictures because honestly, it wasn’t worth it.’
Ros Cryer, 45, a PR manager from Colchester, Essex, said: ‘I like seeing a different perspective on a place I thought I knew and it’s important to get people back to this area.
‘We are being offered another round of tickets so we can come back and get the full experience.’
Reality and fantasy: The council admitted this afternoon the mound was not ready and refunds would be given all week
What a view! Marketing expert Dan Barker posted this obscured vision from the Marble Arch Mound tip yesterday
Ugly metal fencing and barriers are still in place around the mound as well as traffic cones, which detract from the greenery
The Marble Arch mound installation opens to the public who have paid between £4.50 and £8 depending on the time of day
The Marble March Mound as it was taking shape back in June this year next to the famous landmark it now looms over
Two twitter users likened it to a Mario computer game and the home of the Teletubbies
While the designs for the artificial hill had shown a magical space of lush greenery and stunning views, the reality provided very little.
Neighbouring Hyde Park is almost entirely obscured by trees, making it difficult to spot anything on the grasses.
Then to the right a wasteground being developed boast a number of shipping containers and rubble.
The walk-up to the attraction is little better, with a parade of dumper bins lining one corner of the manmade structure.
Its big reveal prompted a barrage of criticism from the public over its cost and execution.
Bassano wrote: ‘Having just learned of the Marble Arch Mound, I’m not sure what’s worse.
Design versus reality: The plans for the hill on the left looked impressive compared to how it had actually been built
Here’s what you could have won! Plans promised sweeping views for six months between summer and Christmas
The plans for the mound look very different in terms of quality to the finished product, with many left very unimpressed
The plans, pictured here showed a hill bustling with flora and fauna but the reality is much more bare and lacks greenery
Slight Return left no doubt of their opinion on the Marble Arch Mound with this meme showing dinosaur dung in Jurassic Park
Social media was flooded with disdain for the £2million project and its appearance, noting the cost of just going up there
How Marble Arch was originally built to be the grand entrance to Buckingham Palace
Designed to be a grand celebration of British victories in the Napoleonic Wars, Marble Arch was designed by John Nash – the architect to King George IV – in 1827.
It was intended to be the state entrance to Buckingham Palace and initially stood near where there the central part of the building – complete with the famous balcony – is today.
Whilst most of its grand panels and statues had been completed by 1830, the death that year of the King led to the sacking of Nash by the Duke of Wellington – the then Prime Minister – for overspending.
Designed to be a grand celebration of British victories in the Napoleonic Wars, Marble Arch was designed by John Nash – the architect to King George IV – in 1827. It was intended to be the state entrance to Buckingham Palace and initially stood near where there the central part of the building – complete with the famous balcony – is today
Instead, fellow architect Edward Blore was commissioned to complete the Arch in a less ostentatious fashion.
The Arch itself was completed in 1833, whilst the central gates were added in 1837 – just in time for Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne.
When the Arch became overshadowed by Blore’s enlarged Buckingham Palace, the decision was taken in 1850 to move the structure to its current location at Cumberland Gate, where it formed a grand entrance to Hyde Park in time for the Great Exhibition of 1851.
It was de-constructed stone by stone and then put back together after making the short journey.
However, in 1908, a new road scheme cut through the park, leaving the Arch separated from Hyde Park. In 1960s, the roads were widened once more, leaving the Arch in its present isolated position.
In 1970, the Arch gained Grade-1 listed status.
‘Charging £8 to ascend some scaffolding covered in rolls of B&Q turf or the views of the building site from the top’
Marketing expert Dan Barker said: ‘I’d joked before that it cost 6p per step to climb it, as the ‘fast track’ price was £8.
‘That seems to have dropped to £6.50, meaning it is a more affordable 5p per step to climb the 130ish steps.’
David Heslop opined: ‘I’ve just seen that Marble Arch mound thing, and can anyone explain why it looks like it was built using the terrain editor from the first Roller Coaster Tycoon?’
Jon quipped: ‘They needed to either make more effort to make Marble Arch Mound look like a hill, or less effort.
‘As it is, it looks like a screenshot from seven minutes of work in Minecraft.’
Rachel said: ‘TBF the Teletubby land hill, looks better than the £2 million pound utter monstrosity that is the Marble Arch mound.’
Joshua added: ‘You cannot tell me the Marble Arch mound doesn’t look like the first level in Mario 64.’
Another asked: ‘I don’t live in London. Is this a joke or have the Tories really built a £2million slag heap by Marble Arch?’
July Aylott, 60, a fashion adviser from Hitchin, Herts, said: ‘I like the idea of what they did but the views weren’t what we expected.
‘It was nice to get up high, but you can’t see up Oxford street, which they say you can on the website.
‘You can see the shard and cranes in the distance, but that’s about it really.
‘I don’t think it would be worth the eight pounds if you went up there with a family.’
Merryl Robersom, 65, a retired head teacher from Hampton, south west London, said: ‘Seeing London from a different angle and over into Hyde Park is lovely, although the trees are quite high at the minute.
‘It attracted me because it’s Marble Arch and I’ve never been above Marble Arch – did you know there are windows at the top of it?
‘But we were expecting to see more and we were desperate for a coffee, but it’s not open yet.
‘I think they should have delayed the opening, because it all seems to rushed.’
Back in February the stage had been set for a spectacular inner-city display.
Winy Maas, founding partner at MVRDV, had helped stoke the anticipation.
He told Architect’s Journal: ‘It’s a location full of contradictions, and our design highlights that.
By adding this landscape element, we make a comment on the urban layout of the Marble Arch, and by looking to the site’s history, we make a comment on the area’s future.
The temporary installation in central London includes a viewing platform which allows visitors the opportunity to look out
In the days leading up to the opening architect Mr Maas seemed to accept that the real hill was not quite up to scratch
Designed to be a grand celebration of British victories in the Napoleonic Wars, Marble Arch was designed by John Nash
MVRDV: Who are the ‘Abba of architects’ behind the slated Marble Arch Mound project?
The unusually-named MVRDV was formed in 1993 and are so called because of the initials of their founders.
Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries dreamt up the firm, which is based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
They describe themselves as having a global scope and are there to ‘provide solutions to contemporary architectural and urban issues in all regions of the world’
Their completed projects include the Netherlands Pavilion for the World EXPO 2000 in Hannover and the Market Hall, a combination of housing and retail in Rotterdam.
The Market Hall is one of the most famous landmarks of Rotterdam and The Netherlands
They also made WoZoCo, which are one-bedroom dwellings for seniors in Amsterdam. The building is known because of the extreme cantilever of some of the apartments and the variety of materials: wood siding, colored glass balconies, concrete.
WoZoCo, which are one-bedroom dwellings for seniors in Amsterdam
The company’s latest project is the Dutch Pavilion of the 2000 World Expo.
MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs said of it: ‘It’s such an exciting opportunity for us to revisit this early project of ours that we first worked on over twenty years ago’
‘The original design was certainly a unique design for a very specific purpose, but despite its outspoken design its core structure is highly reusable and more flexible than originally imagined.
‘The differences between the floors will be maintained and converted into a functional office environment that nevertheless retains the unique experimental features of the Expo Pavilion. You will be able to work on the Dunes, or in the forest, or between the treepots.’
‘Marble Arch Hill strengthens the connection between Oxford Street and the park via the Marble Arch.
‘Can this temporary addition help inspire the city to undo the mistakes of the 1960s, and repair that connection?’
Westminster Council was similarly enthused by the design and seemed eager to see the results.
Council leader Rachael Robathan said at the time: ‘Our proposed Hyde Park Hill temporary visitor attraction at Marble Arch signifies our ambitious approach to the Oxford Street district.
‘It will be important for bringing in visitors to support the local economy.
‘However, it will offer so much more.
‘We hope it will give people an opportunity to look afresh and with wonder at this well-known, but sadly increasingly overlooked, area to recognise its beauty and importance.’
In the days leading up to the opening Mr Maas seemed to accept that the real hill was not quite up to the standards of the designs.
He told the Guardian: ‘It’s not enough, we are all fully aware that it needs more substance.
‘The initial calculation was for a stair, and then there are all the extras.
‘But I think it still opens people’s eyes and prompts an intense discussion. It’s OK for it to be vulnerable.
‘Imagine if you lifted up Hyde Park at each of its corners.
‘Speaker’s Corner could be transformed into a kind of tribune, with a perfect view across an endless landscape.’
The Marble Arch Mound installation is intended to be in place for the rest of the year.
It will be taken down and dismantled at the start of January 2022.
The council said: ‘We are aware that elements of the Marble Arch Mound are not yet ready for visitors.
‘We are working hard to resolve this over the next few days.
‘In light of the delay, we are offering anybody who has booked a visit during the first week a return ticket free of charge so that they can enjoy the full experience including the Lightfield art installation, M&S Food, and the landscape once it has had time to bed in and grow.
‘People who visited the Mound today, and people who are booked for the rest of the week (including the weekend), will be contacted and offered a refund and a free return ticket so they can see the Mound at its best.
‘Anyone who has booked a visit this week can go up the Mound as planned and then still take advantage of the free return ticket.
‘The Mound is a living building by design.
‘We’ll continue to adapt and improve London’s newest outdoor attraction and resolve any teething problems as they emerge.
‘We’re sorry for the delay and look forward to welcoming visitors when they’re ready to enjoy all the Mound has to offer.
‘See Tickets will shortly be in touch with everyone who booked a ticket for this week.’
