A temporary giant mound made of steel scaffolding and covered in turf, trees, and plants was created at Marble Arch this year by Westminster in a bid to bring people back into central London after the worst of the pandemic of 2020. Dubbed the "Marble Arch Mound", the project required the public to purchase a ticket to climb the mound for "views over Hyde Park". The project was largely a disaster with the public as the reality did not meet expectations, and ticket-buyers were refunded. As a result of the lacklustre attraction, people can enter it for free until it is dismantled in January. An additional immersive light show is located inside the mound, and this only opened recently as it was delayed. In total, the cost of the attraction was about six million pounds.
Visitors can book a ticket, or they can walk up for free. I visited on a Friday mid-afternoon, and I was able to get right in. Security guards take your details, and another one checks your bags. The security guard did not like my little velvet "sack" of metal straws that I have carried around to use from the days of plastic straws. However, he eventually let me take them. No, they are not weapons, and they are not used for anything else recreational. My life is way too boring for that!
The mound itself is 25-meters high, and visitors reach the top by climbing a series of metal stairs, which you can see behind or underneath the structure while climbing.
From the top, there is information about some of the landmarks that can be seen from the top of the mound, but the mound itself is not really high enough to be able to see into Hyde Park. The trees on the border of Speaker's Corner are higher than the 25-meters. It's also not the correct angle to look down Oxford Street. However, visitors can see some of the buildings in the City, Park Avenue Hilton, and down upon Marble Arch.
After climbing down the structure, visitors enter the "immersive light show" inside the mound, which opened seven weeks later than planned. The Lightfield exhibit is by British artist Anthony James. The sculptures were meant to be displayed in a cafe, but this did not materialise. A Marks and Spencer food truck with "Percy Pig" photograph machine was also meant to be a part of the attraction from July, but this never materialised either. (The Marks and Spencer food truck is meant to arrive at the end of September.)
There are three rooms with different light installations. The first contained two spherical objects with mirrored infinity lights. On the back wall is a projection of infinity lights that change colour.
The second room contained several cubes laid out in a grid pattern. The cubes have pulsing lights that change between red, purple, blue, and white colours.
The last room contained an infinity portal that changed colour on the wall, and an additional infinity sculpture was included in the room. This one was shaped more like a monolith.
The Marble Arch Mound is free to visit, and visitors can now expect to see the light show at the end of their visit. Hopefully, a Marks and Spencers food truck will arrive to provide an additional part of the attraction. Overall, this mound has been dubbed London's worst attraction, so many have gone to see it for that reason alone.
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