Interactive sculpture in Hudson Yards, Manhattan. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick. Opened March 2019. 16-story honeycomb structure of staircases. Indefinitely closed since 2021 after suicide tragedies.
Design
154 interconnecting flights of stairs, 2,500 steps, 80 landings. Copper-clad steel frame (150 tons). Height: 150 feet. Diameter: 50 feet base. Cost: $200 million.
Heatherwick Studio concept: “focal point where people can enjoy new perspectives of the city and one another.” Modeled after Indian stepwells. Climbable sculpture—no elevators (ADA accessible ground level only).
Controversy
Name: Originally unnamed—public called it “The Vessel.” Hudson Yards attempted “Hudson Yards Staircase” but “Vessel” stuck. Critics: dystopian, corporate, “shawarma,” “giant doner kebab,” “trash can.”
Architecture criticism: Michael Kimmelman (NYT): “basically a decorative object” with “no discernible purpose beyond a set piece for Hudson Yards.” Accused of Instagram-bait over substance.
Suicides: 4 deaths (2020-2021), 3 by suicide. Closed January 2021. Briefly reopened with paid guided tours ($10 tickets), permanent closure July 2021. Safety netting rejected as aesthetically unacceptable.
Copyright overreach: Terms of service claimed ownership of all visitor photos for commercial use without compensation. Public backlash forced reversal.
Hudson Yards Context
$25 billion mega-development on Manhattan’s Far West Side. Luxury condos ($4M-$30M), high-end retail (Neiman Marcus flagship), office towers (Facebook, L’Oréal, WarnerMedia). Criticized as “billionaire’s playground,” gentrification symbol.
The Vessel centerpiece of 5-acre Public Square. Adjacent: The Shed (arts center), Edge observation deck (100th floor).
Current Status
Closed indefinitely. Developer Related Companies explores options: safety modifications, permanent closure, reimagining. Structure remains visible but inaccessible. #TheVessel posts now nostalgia + criticism.