MVRDV has revealed visuals of its Marble Arch Hill viewpoint, which will be built in central London near Oxford Street to attract people back to the shopping street following the coronavirus pandemic.
Aptly named Marble Arch Hill, the 25-metre-tall structure will open in July and provide "rare views" of the Marble Arch ? a 19th-century triumphal arch designed by architect John Nash ? as well as Hyde Park.
It was designed by MVRDV as a nod to the history of the site as it was previously part of the adjacent Hyde Park before being isolated and adapted into a large traffic island in the 1960s.
Its hollow base will be used for events
MVRDV was commissioned to design Marble Arch Hill by Westminster City Council in response to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Oxford Street, a busy shopping area close to Marble Arch. The installation is hoped to encourage visitors to return to the street after the government's lockdown restrictions are eased by creating renewed interest in the area.
Once complete, it will bear resemblance to MVRDV's proposal for the 2004 Serpentine Pavilion, which was designed as a huge artificial mountain around the Serpentine Gallery but never realised due to costs.
It will be lined with trees and grass
Marble Arch Hill will be constructed using scaffolding, which will form a hollow base upon which layers of plywood and soil will then be laid.
The soil will be used to grow grass across the structure, while also holding large planters tha...