Dutch studio MVRDV's £2 million fake hill in central London has been ridiculed by critics and forced to temporarily close, with refunds issued to disgruntled visitors.
The 25-metre-high Marble Arch Mound officially opened to the public on Monday on a traffic island between Hyde Park and shopping destination Oxford Street.
Attraction "not yet ready for visitors"
However, the temporary landscaped mound, which is topped by a viewing platform, has been forced to stop taking bookings until the trees and turf have had "time to bed in and grow".
Above and top: the mound photographed the week before opening
"We are aware that elements of the Marble Arch Mound are not yet ready for visitors," said the council.
"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 [...] and the landscape once it has had time to bed in and grow." People who have bought tickets, which start at £4.50 each, are still allowed to visit but will also be offered a refund or a ticket for a second visit later in the year.
Mound "shows signs of struggle"
The viewpoint alongside Marble Arch ? a triumphal arch designed by architect John Nash and built in 1872 ? was commissioned by Westminster City Council to draw people back to the nearby Oxford Street shopping district following the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the attraction has drawn criticism f...