The Vessel, a Manhattan tourist site closed after suicides, reopens with new safety features
Vessel, a tourist attraction in Hudson Yards in the Manhattan borough of New York City, is closed to visitors on July 30, 2021. Credit: AP/Ted Shaffrey
NEW YORK — The Vessel, a towering, honeycomb-like sculpture in Manhattan that was popular with tourists before a series of suicides forced its closure in 2021, will reopen Monday with new safety features.
The 150-foot (46-meter) structure opened in 2019 as the centerpiece of the Hudson Yards development on Manhattan's West Side. The climbable sculpture with zigzagging stairs drew crowds of tourists, but was closed to the public in 2021 after several people took their own lives by jumping off the structure.
Related Companies, which owns Hudson Yards, confirmed Sunday that the Vessel will reopen Monday with floor-to-ceiling steel mesh barriers installed on parts of it. Only the upper level sections that have been fitted with mesh will reopen and the top level will remain closed. Tickets are required.
“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 prepared statement, “that interest hasn’t diminished during the time we’ve been closed and we’re excited to welcome guests from all around the world back to Vessel with additional safety measures in place.”
Related had announced in April that the attraction would reopen at an unspecified time this year with the steel mesh barriers.
The Vessel was designed by Thomas Heatherwick and fabricated in Venice.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
