March 2020 - The Heatherwick Studio was invited to design a public centerpiece for Hudson Yards, a 27-acre development on Manhattan’s West Side that held its grand opening in March 2019. The studio created a structure that visitors could use, touch and relate to. It developed the idea of a landmark that could be climbed and explored. Drawing inspiration from the ancient step wells of India, the studio sought to evoke the powerful effect of their repeating steps, flights and landings that reach down to the earth.

Comprising 254 flights and almost 2,500 steps, the effect of climbing up and down Vessel’s staircases creates a personal rhythm in each visitor. Rising 46 meters (almost 151 feet), it lifts people above the square and reveals views across Hudson Yards and Manhattan from 80 platforms arranged around its perimeter. Polished copper-colored undersides contrast with the painted steel surfaces of the complex architectural framework, enlivening the structure with reflections of the surrounding city.