Hudson Yards, the largest private real estate development in United States history and the largest in New York City since Rockefeller Center, will feature a complex installation, known as the Vessel, as the centerpiece for the Public Square and Gardens. Construction of the $200 million steel structure, designed by Thomas Heatherwick and developed by Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group, began in April 2017 and has neared completion after only nine months.
The 150-foot tall “matrix” features 154 interconnected flights of stairs, 2,500 steps and 80 landings, and will include final details, such as custom paving, balustrades, lighting, and copper-colored cladding. The Vessel, which rests on a 50-foot diameter base, was first manufactured by Cimolai S.p.A in Monfalcone, Italy and then transported to the United States over a 15-day journey across the Atlantic in six separate shipments. The structure first arrived in Port Newark before making its way along the Hudson to the construction site on Manhattan’s West Side.
The Public Square and Gardens at Hudson Yards, where the Vessel will stand, was collaboratively designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects and Heatherwick Studios, and is set to open in 2019, offering visitors a one-mile vertical climb to witness one of the most unique views of Manhattan. The five-acre green space will host 28,000 plants and 200 mature trees, and will also provide access to the High Line and Hudson Park & Boulevard.
Photos: Courtesy of Related-Oxford