Overview
The first sight of the structure in the photo reminds me of Howl's Moving Castle, the Japanese animated fantasy film. Though it is far from similar in terms of appearance, it evokes curiosity. This week let us resume our exploration into the world of stainless steel through the case of the Vessel.
The Vessel
Located at Hudson Yards in Manhattan NYC, the Vessel is an interactive sculpture themed “stairway to nowhere” for visitors to climb and experience a stunning 360-degree view of Manhattan. Associated with the look are descriptions like Manhattan’s Eiffel Tower, the giant shawarma, a honeycomb, a vessel, a waste can, a pinecone upside down and so on. Perceptions can vary in different eyes, but it conveys the same message that the Vessel is nothing boring or a simple duplicate you can find anywhere in this world.
Completed in 2019, the Vessel’s massive structure weighs 60 tons which can accommodate 1000 people per time. Starting from a 50-feet-diamater base, the monument extends to 16 stories high culminating at 150 feet (or 46 meters). It comprises 154 interconnecting flights of stairs with the total 2500 individual steps distributed over 16 floors. The 80 observation platforms of the structure allow visitors to enjoy some of the best panoramic views of New York city and Hudson River at different heights.
The Background Information of the Vessel
The Vessel is a component of the new Hudson Yards development, which includes 2 phases. It constitutes part of the phase 1 development which also contains office and residential skyscrapers, shopping mall and cultural center, making it one of the largest mixed-use private real-estate projects in American history. The Vessel is designated to be the centerpiece of the development’s public square.
Funded privately by the Hudson Yards developer Related Companies, it ends up with a total cost of $2 billions dollars, over 2.5 times more than the projected $75 million. It is often criticized by architectural critics as an “monument to the rich” for being billionaires’ luxurious and exclusive development. However, before jumping to judgement, we need to dive deeper into the background information from the concept of the Vessel and the subsequent tough operation.
The Concept of the Vessel
The concept of the Vessel didn’t come as planed yet still it fell within the expectation. Stephan Ross, the CEO of Related Companies, approached five unnamed artists to solicit proposals for something transformational and monumental for the 5-acre public square. None of their plans turned out satisfactory and got rejected. After that, Ross’s colleague introduced the multi-award-winning British designer and architect Thomas Alexander Heatherwick, the founder of Heatherwick Studio. Ross accepted Heatherwick’s proposal 6 weeks later. It is worth mentioning that the Bombay Sapphire distillery as introduced in our previous case was also designed by them.
In October 2013, Heatherwick's commissioning was announced. On 14 September 2016 the concept of the Vessel was presented to the public in a performance event. In April 2017, the first primary piece out of the total 75 pieces was assembled on the site. The construction was commenced on 18 April 2017 when the first batch of the 10 pieces of the structure were installed. The rest 65 pieces arrived in five batches from time to time. In December 2017, the structure topped out. In October 2018, the Vessel was announced to be open to the public on 15 March 2019 with tickets available in the preceding month. On that day, the Vessel opened on schedule.
The Tough Operation of the Vessel
However, the subsequent operation proved to be a tough one. 4 suicide-related deaths led to several rounds of closings and openings. On 1 February 2020, a 19-year-old man jumped from the 6th floor and died. On 22 December that same year, a 24-year-old woman jumped from the top floor and died. On 11 January 2021, a 21-year-old man jumped to his death. Following the third death in that month, the venue was closed indefinitely but was reopened at the end of May 2021 with a new policy. All visitors must be accompanied by at least one companion. Besides, visitors older than 5 years old must pay $10 for a ticket, which revenue was collected to fund safety upgrades. Unfortunately, on 29 July 2021, a 14-year-old boy jumped from the Vessel while he was with his family. The Vessel was closed indefinitely again. It was not until three years later, specifically on 21 October 2024 that the reopening ensued with the safety nets installed on each floor and well tested.
The Design of the Vessel
The Vessel is designed by Heatherwick Studio with the aim to create a public landmark which promotes public interactions in a way that people can touch and use rather than passively look and admire. Heatherwick wants the visitors to explore it like a jungle gym and bring people together to socialize.
The design was inspired partially by Heatherwick’s endearing experience with an old, abandoned flight of wooden stairs outside a local building site in his childhood, and partially by some amazing images they saw of India’s stepwell, a way that allowed people to get down to water. With the uncommon shape, it provides a stunning view of the city and the river through its vertical climb. To avoid any chaos resulted from crowded people, the structure is deliberately designed to sit at a smaller footprint which expands with height. There is also an elevator complying with ADA, but the landings are of limited access.
Stainless Steel Applied in the Vessel
The shiny bronze-colored facade that brings a tint of vintage to the Vessel is made from stainless steel, rather than copper material as it might seem. They are physical vapor deposition (PVD)-coated duplex stainless steel 2205 plates with varied thicknesses of 30mm, 40mm and 50mm.
The Italian manufacturer Permasteelisa S.p.A supplied 72 tons of them. (Outokumpu 2026). As these 2205 duplex stainless steel fabricated pieces were pre-assembled in Monfalcone Italy after production, then shipped to USA and off-loaded via docks on the Hudson River, the whole processes unavoidably contributed to the cost overrun. Partial shipment just took it even further.
Duplex Stainless Steel Plates from CIVMATS China
If you are looking for 2205 duplex stainless steel plates from China, as in the case of the Vessel, feel free to contacts CIVMATS China. Finish, grades, dimensions and mechanical properties are all customizable.
Apart from stainless steel sheet, plate, coil and strip which are in regular stock from famous brands like TISCO, LISCO, JISCO, BAOWU, YONGJIN, TSINGTUO, DELONG, CIVMATS also produce in house stainless steel long products like stainless steel pipes tubes, bars, wires & ropes. Weclome to inquire and purchase. Choose CIVMATS, choose reliability and safety in China.
