A colossal glass installation that climbs 150 feet above New York will open to the public this Friday as part of the city's much-hyped Hudson Yards development.
The 'Vessel' is the centre of the US$25 billion Hudson Yards development in Manhattan's far West Side. It's a 150-foot, honeycomb-shaped sculpture made from bronze steel and glass, designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick. Featuring 154 interconnected flights of stairs, the bauble is expected to become a major tourist magnet. While the stairs lead to nowhere, the Vessel is made for the public to enjoy by providing new angles from which to view the city (and a backdrop for Instagram shots).
The Vessel can hold up to 1000 people at a time and access will be managed through a ticket service which grants visitors an hour-long window in which they can arrive. Tickets can be booked up to two weeks ahead of time but a handful will be available for same-day use and can be reserved at 9am or by speaking with on-site helpers known as 'Vessel Ambassadors'.
The Vessel is the centrepiece of the Hudson Yards megaproject, the expansive real estate development that will include a a retail mall with high-end shops like Fendi, Dior and Neiman Marcus; restaurants; public plazas; a school; luxury residential units; headquarters for corporations including WarnerMedia and L'Oreal USA and a skyscraper taller than the Empire State Building. The developer of the project, Related Companies, calls it the most expensive endeavour in the city since Rockefeller Centre. Phase one will open on Friday with the unveiling of the Vessel.
Weather permitting, the Vessel will open every day from 10am to 9pm. You can reserve a ticket here.
