The Vessel, the giant climbable centerpiece of New York’s upscale Hudson Yards development that has been the site of a number of suicides, will reopen later this year with new safety features, developers say.
The 150-foot-tall sculpture, designed by Thomas Heatherwick and built at a cost of $260 million, was closed three years ago after four people jumped to their deaths. In addition to general criticism of its design, including descriptions of it as a giant golden shish kebab roast shop, its construction was harshly described by the Guardian as “stairs to nowhere”.
Before the closure, the affiliate that manages Hudson Yards imposed a $10 admission fee and rules to prevent visitors from climbing the building alone. But the plan went awry when a 14-year-old boy jumped in front of his family.
The first suicide from the ship occurred in February 2020. The sculpture was closed the following year. two people committed suicide within a month. After the ship reopened and a fourth suicide occurred, the ship’s operator was criticized for not raising chest-high barriers as requested by community leaders and suicide prevention researchers.
Despite the ship Popular on Instagramwebsite Curbed said it “became famous primarily as a place of death.”
However, the developers have announced that they will reopen later this year with new safety measures in place, including “floor-to-ceiling steel mesh.” told the New York Times It will maintain the “unique experience that has attracted millions of visitors from around the world.”
Peter DeSalvo Jr., the father of the first young man to jump from the ship, told the media that “all deaths, including my son’s, could have been prevented with proper safety equipment.”
