Vessel

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Vessel is a honeycomb-shaped structure made of connected staircases in Hudson Yards, a new neighbourhood on the west side of Manhattan, New York City. It is 16 storeys, or 46 metres, tall and has 154 flights of stairs, about 2,500 steps and 80 landings that visitors can climb.

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At a glance

Country: United States
Location: New York, USA
Built: 2019
Height: 46 m
Type: Monument

Quick answers

Where is Vessel?

Vessel is in New York, USA, United States.

When was Vessel built?

Vessel was built in 2019.

How tall is Vessel?

Vessel is about 46 m tall.

A honeycomb-like landmark at Hudson Yards made of 154 interconnecting flights of stairs.

It was designed by the British designer Thomas Heatherwick and opened on 15 March 2019. The copper-coloured steps are arranged like a giant jungle gym and were inspired by Indian stepwells, deep wells with steps down to the water. Vessel is 15 metres wide at the base and widens to 46 metres at the top.

How it was made

The idea was shown to the public in September 2016, and building began in April 2017. The pieces were manufactured in Italy and shipped to the United States, then lifted into place. The highest piece went on in December 2017. The developer, Related Companies, paid for it, with a final cost of around 200 million dollars. If you add all the stairs together, they are longer than 1.6 kilometres, and the structure can hold 1,000 people at a time.

Changes and closures

Vessel was criticised for its cost and early rules about photographs and access, which were later changed. After some people died there, it was closed several times, and it reopened in October 2024 after glass safety barriers were added. Because of this, visitors should check what is currently open before travelling.