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 on Monday with new safety features.
The 46-meter-tall structure opened in 2019 as the centerpiece of the Hudson Yards development on Manhattan’s West Side. The climbable sculpture with zigzagging stairs attracted crowds of tourists, but was closed to the public in 2021 after several people committed suicide by jumping from the structure.
Related Companies, which owns Hudson Yards, confirmed Sunday that the ship will reopen Monday with floor-to-ceiling steel mesh barriers installed on parts of it. Only the upper floors that are equipped with mesh will open again and the upper floor 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,” Jeff T. Blau, CEO of Related, said in a prepared statement, “that interest has not waned . during the time we have been closed and we are excited to welcome guests from around the world back to the ship with additional safety measures in place.”
Related April had announced that the attraction would reopen at an unspecified time this year with the steel mesh barriers.
The ship was designed by Thomas Heatherwick and manufactured in Venice.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story contains a discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the US National Suicide and Crisis Hotline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.