Vessel

Vessel is a climbable architectural sculpture at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, designed by Thomas Heatherwick as the visual centerpiece of the redevelopment’s public square. Rising 150 feet over 16 stories, its honeycomb form of interconnected staircases contains 154 flights, 2,500 steps, and 80 landings, and was meant to be explored rather than merely seen. Publicly unveiled in 2016 and opened in 2019, it quickly became a prominent symbol of Hudson Yards, praised as a bold landmark but criticized for accessibility limits, privatized control, and extravagant design. After several suicides in 2020 and 2021, safety changes led to repeated closures and a partial reopening in 2024.

New York, New York · United States