Vessel at Hudson Yards reopens after three years
Barriers on the Vessel were installed last month. Photo © Ondel Hylton
Three years after closing due to a series of suicides, Hudson Yards’ Vessel reopened this week with new safety features. The 150-foot-tall climbable public artwork reopened on Monday with floor-to-ceiling, cut-proof, and water-resistant steel mesh barriers enclosing its stairways and platforms, while its top level is closed to the public, as reported by Gothamist. While it was initially free to climb, Vessel general admission costs $10, with free entry offered to NYC residents every Thursday.
Designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick as the centerpiece of the Hudson Yards development, Vessel is a bronzed steel-and-concrete sculpture with 154 interconnected flights of stairs and 2,500 steps. Constructed in 2019 for $200 million, the honeycomb-shaped structure quickly became a popular attraction, offering visitors the opportunity to climb it for free with a reservation.
The first suicide at Vessel occurred in February 2020, when a 19-year-old from New Jersey jumped from the structure. After two more deaths, developer Related Companies temporarily closed the sculpture and worked with psychiatrists and suicide-prevention experts to create a plan to prevent future tragedies.
Instead of installing barriers, Related implemented new safety protocols when it reopened, such as prohibiting solo visitors, adding more staff, and charging $10. After a fourth death in July 2021, the structure and surrounding plaza were closed again.
Stephen Ross, the chair of Related Companies, the developer of Hudson Yards, told the Daily Beast in July 2021 that the installation might close permanently after the fourth tragedy.
“We thought we did everything that would really prevent this,” Ross told the Daily Beast. “It’s hard to really fathom how something like that could happen. But you know, I feel terrible for the family.”
In April, it was announced that Vessel would reopen this year with new steel mesh barriers to prevent future accidents.
“Not a day goes by that we don’t have visitors walking up to our staff asking where they can buy tickets and when it will reopen,” Related CEO Jeff T. Blau said in a statement to AP, adding, “we’re excited to welcome guests from all around the world back to Vessel with additional safety measures in place.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
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