Climbable sculpture in Hudson Yards in Manhattan closed in 2021 after four people died by suicide
The Vessel, the huge climbable centerpiece of New York’s upmarket Hudson Yards development that saw a number of suicides, is set to reopen later this year with new safety features, according to developers.
The 150ft sculpture, designed by Thomas Heatherwick and built at a cost of $260m, was closed three years ago after four people jumped to their deaths. Besides overall criticism of its design – including descriptions of it as a giant gold shish-kebab rotisserie – the construction was grimly described to the Guardian as “staircase to nowhere”.
Before its closure, Related Companies, the company that controls Hudson Yards, imposed a $10 entrance fee and a rule requiring that visitors do not climb the structure alone. But that plan proved unsuccessful when a 14-year-old boy jumped in front his family.
Even the Eiffel Tower was hated and supposed to be dismantled after the World Fair. But due to people being too cheap to even bulldoze the thing, now it’s an icon.
It’s hard to figure out what will be iconic and what is stupid. Since they almost all look stupid.
Similar happened with a pedestrian bridge that my city built with some added artistic features and a huge spire as part of the structure.
It was heavily criticized for years, called ugly, a waste of money, and nicknamed by one newspaper columnist as the “dick bridge”.
But now, a couple of decades later, it is featured in pretty much every promotion for the city, and shows up in just about every tourist vlog and televised sporting event that happens here.
It’s become an iconic part of the area skyline.