Photo courtesy Timothy Schenck
Designed by Heatherwick Studio, Vessel, the centerpiece of the Hudson Yards Public Square and Gardens in New York City, has reopened after a four-month closure following three suicides.
The structure was closed to the public since January after a 21-year-old Texas man committed suicide by jumping off the sculpture. That was the third suicide from the artwork in less than a year.
Admission is now restricted to groups of two persons or more with a $10 entry fee, which was previously free. There will also be triple the amount of staff and security personnel working at the Vessel who will be trained to be alert for signs that someone may be suicidal or considering self-harm, as per the New York Times.
The 46-m (150-ft) structure is described as an urban landmark comprising 154 intricately-interconnecting flights of stairs, 2500 individual steps, and 80 landings. Rising from a base that is 15 m (50 ft) in diameter, Vessel offers the public a 1.6-km (1-mi) vertical climbing experience and some of the most unique views of the West Side when Hudson Yards opens in early 2019.
