A critically derided tourist attraction in London is to close after only six months.
The Marble Arch Mound opened to much fanfare in July last year, but immediately the £6 million (NZ$12 million) artificial hill beside one of the UK capital’s busiest intersections was mercilessly mocked.
Many of the plants had not bedded in and onlookers, who paid £4.50 (NZ$9) for tickets, complained that all they saw were views of scaffolding and rubble.
Critics likened the 25-metre monument to a building site and said it looked like the set from the Teletubbies.
Matt Dunham/AP
The installation was commissioned by Westminster Council and designed by architects MVRDV.
READ MORE:
* London’s derided $4m ‘mountain of mud’ attraction closes after just two days
* More a molehill: London’s new tourist attraction underwhelms
After two days the attraction was closed for renovations.
Now after six months the Westminster City Council, who oversaw the project, has announced its closure.
A spokesperson from the council defended The Mound saying it “has done what it was built to – drawn crowds and supported the recovery in the West End”
“We’re really pleased that nearly 250,000 visitors have come to Westminster to see The Mound and the terrific light exhibition inside. Those visitors have gone on to spend money in shops, bars and restaurants across the West End – helping local businesses to get back on their feet,” reported The Guardian.
Matt Dunham/AP
The attraction was opened to try and entice shoppers back to the adjacent Oxford Street after the coronavirus lockdowns.
A tongue-in-cheek online campaign has been launched to save the “icon”.
A petition on change.org is calling for The Mound to be preserved as it is a “celebration of life during the Covid deconfinement”.
“The Mound is both a piece of art and a piece of community – it must not be cut down in its prime especially in light of the money and joy already invested into it.”
It will take up to four months to deconstruct the site with all the trees and plants being reused.
