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‘Trash heap’: New £2m London attraction offers refunds following heavy criticism from visitors

Marble Arch Mound was supposed to offer a look at London from a new perspective. Instead, it’s become the victim of memes and criticism after the site opened looking more like a building site than a green haven

MVRDV’s vision has not been accurately realised in the creation of the temporary attraction

What was supposed to be a green escape from city life offering panoramic views of surrounding London more closely resembled a building site when it opened, with the unfinished Marble Arch Mound offering refunds to disappointed customers following its launch.

The £2m (US$2.77m, €2.35m) temporary installation, designed by Rotterdam-based architects MVRDV, was conceptualised as a “hollowed-out mountain based on a scaffolding structure” which would “redefine the connection between Oxford Street and Hyde Park”.

The finished product certainly featured scaffolding, though likely not where the architects had envisioned, with visitors comparing the creation to “Teletubby Hill, a “slag heap” and “scaffolding covered in B&Q turf”.







According to MVRDV, the full Marble Arch Hill will be experienced via a single continuous route. Visitors will climb to the viewpoint via a path that winds its way up the hill’s southern slope, after which they will descend into a great Hall in the heart of the hill, a hollowed-out space that will be used for events, exhibitions, and other happenings.

The 25 metre-high artificial grass hill was commissioned by the City of Westminster Council, with designs showing a lush green area covered in trees and illuminated to create a unique structure in the centre of the city. The current version, however, is an unfinished hill dotted with a few trees, dirt, scaffolding, brown turf and a number of large wheelie bins.

The attraction’s peak features a viewing platform which promises panoramic views of the surrounding area - many were unable to see anything however because the planted trees were blocking the line of sight.

Following a slew of complaints, the council said that it is now accepting refund requests from ticket holders. Tickets have also been taken off sale, with the site set to reopen in August when the hill has had time to “bed in and grow”.

“We are aware that elements of the Marble Arch Mound are not yet ready for visitors,” said a spokesperson. “We are working hard to resolve this over the next few days.

“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.”