In January 2021, “The Vessel,” designed by Heatherwick Studio, was temporarily closed to visitors after many suicide incidents in the Public Landmark. The 150-foot-monumental staircase in Hudson Yards, New York, is now set to reopen this year to the public with revamped safety measures. The beehive-shaped sculpture boasts approximately 2,500 steps and 80 landmarks and is on track to install “floor-to-ceiling mesh” on various staircases to safeguard visitors.
Tragically, the site has witnessed four individuals commit suicide since its opening in 2019, all under the age of 25 and in an eighteen-month time span. The structure was temporarily closed amid consultations with suicide-prevention experts and psychiatrists about how to operate it while preventing potential suicides.
Designed as a new type of landmark, the Vessel is a 16-story circular climbing frame that captures views across the Hudson River and Manhattan. It is built on Midtown Manhattan’s West Side. The project is New York’s largest development to date and the largest private real estate venture in American history, covering almost 14 acres of land with residential towers, offices, plazas, shopping centers, and restaurants designed by world renowned firms such as BIG, SOM, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Rockwell Group, and many others.
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Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is on Track to Reopen in 2024According to The New York Times, the plan includes installing cut-resistant “floor-to-ceiling steel mesh.” In fact, some accounts of tourists caught glimpses of the iconic structure and were able to witness previews of the forthcoming changes featuring the black mesh. Additionally, the highest level of the structure will remain permanently closed.
In his latest TED Talk, Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studios, explores conditions affecting areas of the city defined by monotonous buildings, or what he calls an “epidemic of boringness.” In fact, the Vessel was initially inspired by an endless staircase, inviting visitors to interact and exercise by enjoying the public landmark. In other similar news, the studio was recently selected to design a new educational facility for a university in Bogotá, Colombia, marking its debut in South America. Additionally, Heatherwick Studio’s new district in the heart of Tokyo has recently been opened to the public by the Prime Minister of Japan.
