Marble Arch is going to get a hill and it's going to be called The Mound

[RainbowTown]

The true cost has now been revealed to be £6 million

£6,000,000 for a heap of dirt with a load of scaffolding underneath?

 

[BillRiver]

The true cost has now been revealed to be £6 million

Does anyone know exactly which companies were given that money?

 

[Lord Camomile]

I fear you may be right - From the BBC article - A review to "understand what went wrong and ensure it never happens again" is under way, Westminster Council said.

I mean, in one sense, sure, that's absolutely what should happen. But definitely not confident they'll draw (what I think are...) the right conclusions and lessons from this shitshow.

Apparently it's free during August so I might have a wander up it just to be able to say I was there.

I have been struggling to think of what to do for my birthday...

 

[BristolEcho]

The pictures of the interior and the top are great. They could have used Wood for the top, put some plants around, some signs explaining about the arch and the local area. £6m..... It's basically a get rich quick scheme for a few people isn't it?

 

[DaveCinzano]

The really frustrating thing, personally, is that this sort of shit turns people against the whole idea of public art or council-funded projects.

It's part of the national fabric, like booking Pontin's holidays, looking at smoking elves at a Winter Wonderland, throwing shit at American magicians and sadface pointing at dogshit or potholes

 

[Storm Fox]

The pictures of the interior and the top are great. They could have used Wood for the top, put some plants around, some signs explaining about the arch and the local area. £6m..... It's basically a get rich quick scheme for a few people isn't it?

Yes, but putting wood or plants at the top would despoil the essential elements of the structure, and corrupt the overarching aesthetic of the juxtaposition of natural and manufactured materials leading to a failure in harmonisation of the surrounding area's construction themes.

Honest

And it's definitely not a poorly thought through and implemented pile of shite.
BTW That's £100k please for the consultancy

 

[editor]

Apparently it's free during August so I might have a wander up it just to be able to say I was there.

You have to pre-book online.

 

[marty21]

The BBC reported that a Councillor had resigned over it , apparently he led on the project. The report also said a review was taking place to make sure this sort of thing didn't happen again. I suspect more mounds were planned ALL OVER THE PLACE.

 

[Elpenor]

I suspect more mounds were planned ALL OVER THE PLACE.

They’re breeding

 

[skyscraper101]

6 million.
Six fucking million!

What an absolute waste of money. Why Marble Arch?? There’s shag all to see there anyway.

It’d have been better in the middle of Hyde Park. Like a sort of urban Silbury Hill. Better still Westminster council could’ve built an amazing facility to help and feed the homeless.

Load of bollocks.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Making mountains out of mouldy holes

 

[hash tag]

Does anyone know exactly which companies were given that money?

Probably companies linked to Tories.
I am a few hundred yards away in a crap noisy pub with shitty beer. I am not going near it.

 

[T & P]

6 million.
Six fucking million!

What an absolute waste of money. Why Marble Arch?? There’s shag all to see there anyway.

It’d have been better in the middle of Hyde Park. Like a sort of urban Silbury Hill. Better still Westminster council could’ve built an amazing facility to help and feed the homeless.

Load of bollocks.

I'm sure I've read before the stated aim of it being where it is was to drag more people to Oxford street, so retail giants can make more £££ to help the local economy bounce back from the pandemic.

 

[BillRiver]

Probably companies linked to Tories.
I am a few hundred yards away in a crap noisy pub with shitty beer. I am not going near it.

Yeah I walked past it this morning on my way to Hyde Park. It's hideous!

Today's evening standard says it was designed by a Dutch firm of architects called MVRDV. Their website is here:

MVRDV - Architects

I'm still curious to know who else got paid/is getting paid for this, eg. the builders, the security, the PR/publicity firm, etc.

 

[BristolEcho]

They seem to like exposed stealwork. "Stairs to kriterion"

 

[marty21]

I'm sure I've read before the stated aim of it being where it is was to drag more people to Oxford street, so retail giants can make more £££ to help the local economy bounce back from the pandemic.

I fancy going shopping but will only go somewhere with a big useless green mound nearby. If only retailers had known this tactic before, Woolies could have been saved, and C&A

 

[nottsgirl]

Am I the only person who thinks it looks quite good? What’s the view like? You can barely get a pint in London for £6.

 

[marty21]

Am I the only person who thinks it looks quite good? What’s the view like? You can barely get a pint in London for £6.

We have plenty of 'spoons in London , and if you avoid the west end, a sub £6 pint is around.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I'd rather have a pint tbh

 

[Spymaster]

What’s the view like?

A few treetops and the traffic going around it.

 

[marty21]

I'd rather have a pint tbh

The view is always better with a pint .

 

[FridgeMagnet]

There are much better places to see London from above from. Centre Point has a really good viewing gallery for instance. And you can get a drink too.

 

[ska invita]

There are much better places to see London from above from. Centre Point has a really good viewing gallery for instance. And you can get a drink too.

i didnt know that - i cant find a link - what do you have to do to get in?

 

[spitfire]

i didnt know that - i cant find a link - what do you have to do to get in?

I thought it was flats now? Mlle Fire used to run the members club on the top 2 floors before the landlord kicked everyone out and started converting it to flats. Seen some cool sunrises from up there.

Be good if he has reinstated the viewing balcony though.

 

[editor]

Am I the only person who thinks it looks quite good? What’s the view like? You can barely get a pint in London for £6.

You can see the view here.

Underwhelmed by The Mound – a photographic journey up London’s newest tourist attraction -

Opening late last month, The Mound is a 25 metre high artificial hill located next to the Marble Arch monument. Swiftly branded London’s ‘worst attraction,’ admission prices plummeted within days from the initial asking price of £8 per person, to £6.50, to £4 before giving up altogether and...

www.urban75.org

It's mainly treetops. It would be hard to spend more than 15 minutes there as there's really not a lot to do or look at and you're not encouraged to tarry at the uninspiring viewing platform.

 

[BoxRoom]

All the crap we have to put up with at the moment and as a special treat we get Mons Public, and have to pay to climb it. Apart from August. Hooray for August.
ffs

 

[Cid]

I'm sure I've read before the stated aim of it being where it is was to drag more people to Oxford street, so retail giants can make more £££ to help the local economy bounce back from the pandemic.

Except that no-one really goes to that bit of Oxford st. Or they go there because, y'know, there's the marble arch and Hyde Park to see... Just doesn't really seem to make sense. Even on a capitalist level you'd expect them to be chatting with Selfridges and the like about a bit of additional sponsorship, maybe some special exhibits, on-site retail etc. Maybe they did and they all just went 'fuck off, all our spare cash went on bonuses this year'.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I thought it was flats now? Mlle Fire used to run the members club on the top 2 floors before the landlord kicked everyone out and started converting it to flats. Seen some cool sunrises from up there.

Be good if he has reinstated the viewing balcony though.

Ah ok, it's been a while since I went there. That's a bit rubbish.

There are still other places though. You can go to the Shard or the Tate Modern viewing platform or the silly one by Liverpool Street.

 

[spitfire]

Ah ok, it's been a while since I went there. That's a bit rubbish.

There are still other places though. You can go to the Shard or the Tate Modern viewing platform or the silly one by Liverpool Street.

Yeah rubbish for everyone apart from the leaseholder of the club who got several million quid for his eviction. Mlle Fire didn't see a penny despite being a long serving core employee. Capitalism eh?

 

[hash tag]

Ah ok, it's been a while since I went there. That's a bit rubbish.

There are still other places though. You can go to the Shard or the Tate Modern viewing platform or the silly one by Liverpool Street.

My shit pint in St Chris's place was £4.50.
The mound looks white from the busstops in Park Lane, rather tragic even.
Best accessable viewing area is the Walkie Talkie and it's free.
Best viewing platform is the GPObTower.