Ascent Of The Marble Arch Mound

The Marble Arch is a mid-19th century triumphal arch designed by John Nash (of Regent's Park and other fame) intended originally as the principal entrance to the then-new Buckingham Palace. When the Queen's family outgrew the original palace, an addition was needed, and the Marble Arch had to go. It was moved to the corner of Hyde Park and Oxford St., and in the ensuing century-plus it has stayed more or less there, its principal new function being that of lending its name to the Tube station and shopping area thereabouts. It is small, ugly, ill-placed, and commemorates no particular triumph. Last year, in an effort to rehabilitate the Oxford St. shopping area during COVID, the Westminster city council voted to build a mound, that is, an artificial hill, next to the Arch, offering views of the nearby park and shopping district. Despite an 8£ admission charge, it was hoped that the Marble Arch Mound would attract shoppers and tourists by the tens of thousands. But that hope has not panned out and, amid public derision, a temporary closure, and a 400% cost over-run (round it off at a projected $8MM total), the city council has seen its first resignation over the matter. As a first-order world-class municipal boondoggle, it was something we had not only to see but to experience. 

The Marble Arch

The Mound; we immediately noticed the elevator tower

In perhaps an act of contrition, the city council is 
waving the admission fee for August

To some of us, a mound suggests a bunch of earth piled up; but
not this Mound; there is a thin skin of earth, grass, and a few forlorn
trees stuck on top of the scaffolding; the scaffolding itself is at 
least consistent with much of the rest of London

Happily, we were permitted to take the lift (one of the few perks
of being perceived as elderly) up and down

The, um, view

Overlooking the Marble Arch

Just as you might expect, the Hard Rock Hotel (!) blocks much of
the view, as do other nearby buildings

Another once-in-a-lifetime experience! Personally, I think the
whole thing might have turned out differently had they marketed
it as a scenic pop-up; maybe sell bubble-tea at the top and 
unique souvenirs ("I climbed The Mound" t-shirts); but then I
also advocated marketing Butte's Berkeley Pit as the Grand 
Canyon of Montana