The Vessel travelled 15 days by ship, from Italy to Manhattan, then to be assembled on site piece by piece...
Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, The Vessel will be the public centerpiece at Hudson Yards
Artist: Thomas Heatherwick
Location: Hudson Yards, Manhattan
Cost: $150 million
Opens to the public: March 15th 2019
Not yet open to the public and “The Vessel” is already making a bold statement in the middle of the buzzy never-ending construction site of the West Side in Manhattan.
Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group are bringing together a mix of talented visionaries to create Hudson Yards, an urban development project that is aiming to become the new heart of Manhattan.
Amongst these visionaries there is, Thomas Heatherwick who was invited to create the centerpiece of the public space which will be the place of gathering of the new neighborhood.
[Hudson Yards is the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States]
The Masterpiece: The Vessel
The intension was to create an interactive new landmark for New York. Where visitors can have a unique experience using their physicality. The inspiration came from the ancient step wells in India. It will be ADA Compliant and there will be elevators for everyone to enjoy.
The Vessel by Heatherwick Studio scale model
photo by Nadia Bouzid at 10 Hudson Yards
154 interconnected flights of stairs, almost 2500 individual steps. The Vessel will lift the public , literally and figuratively.
Besides being aesthetically beautiful, well thought contributions to the community are what make a neighborhood come together. The Vessel will bring a public experiential space to the West side. Where people can gather, exercise, rest, play, eat and enjoy multiple views .
“It’s like a platform for life, a playground for humans” - Thomas Heatherwick
The Vessel by Heatherwick Studio
Opening spring 2019
photo by Nadia Bouzid
John Kelly, VP Structural Project Management explained how the individual units for the Vessel were engineered in Monfalcone, Italy by Cimolai [steel experts] and then transported by boat to New York in six separate shipments spending fifteen days at sea.
All of this to be meticulously assembled piece by piece with the help of cranes on site.
Definitely, it wasn’t an easy task, but John explained the logistics of the task, very calm and satisfied.
John Kelly, VP Structural Project Management explaining the Vessel’s Transportation Operation from Italy to Manhattan.
photo by Nadia Bouzid
The first section of The Vessel was installed April 18th 2017 and the last, December 6th 2017. The process took around 8 months.
John Kelly, VP Structural Project Management explaining the Vessel’s Transportation Operation from Italy to Manhattan.
photo by Nadia Bouzid
These developers are really going beyond the imaginable.
Thomas Heatherwick
The shinny polished copper plates make me think of Anish Kapoor
photo by Nadia Bouzid
More pictures of the Model
A close up
The Vessel by Heatherwick Studio scale model
photo by Nadia Bouzid at 10 Hudson Yards
photo by Nadia Bouzid at 10 Hudson Yards