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The Vessel at Manhattan’s Hudson Yards reopens with suicide prevention measures
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 21, 2024
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Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 21, 2024
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The Vessel in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards will officially begin welcoming visitors again Monday with enhanced safety measures, three years after it closed to the public in response to several suicides.
The 150-foot beehive-like structure now features floor-to-ceiling steel mesh barriers encasing several of its stairways and platforms, and the top level will remain closed. The barriers were designed to be cut-proof and weather-resistant, according to a spokesperson.
Built in 2019 for $200 million, the Vessel was a popular tourist attraction and photo spot in the center of Hudson Yards, until four people jumped to their deaths from its upper floors.
Related Companies, which owns Hudson Yards, closed the structure briefly after the third suicide in 2021 – then reopened it a short time later with a new $10 admission fee, suicide prevention signs and a rule that banned solo visitors. However, it was still lacking the kinds of barriers that city and local community board officials requested.
Two months later, a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey jumped from the edge of the structure while climbing up its zig-zagging staircases with his family, according to the NYPD. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The tragedy almost closed the Vessel for good.
"We thought we did everything that would really prevent this," Stephen Ross, the billionaire developer of Hudson Yards, said in an interview with the Daily Beast at the time. "It's hard to really fathom how something like that could happen."
As it sat empty, the structure’s future seemed uncertain, until Hudson Yards announced plans to reopen it earlier this year.
The Vessel was designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick.
New York and New Jersey have resources for anyone experiencing mental health crises, including those considering suicide. You can reach the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline any time by calling or texting 988, or by chatting online, to be connected for free local mental health resources and emergency counselors. Health officials advise anyone observing warning signs of suicidal ideation to call for help or take the person to an emergency room for immediate care.
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manhattan
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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