Vessel (structure) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Vessel
Seen in March 2019, shortly after opening
General information
Status	Indefinitely closed
Town or city	New York City
Country	United States
Coordinates	40°45′14″N 74°00′08″W / 40.7538°N 74.0022°W / 40.7538; -74.0022
Groundbreaking	April 2017
Topped-out	December 2017
Opened	March 15, 2019
Cost	US$75-200 million
Height	150 ft (46 m)
Technical details
Floor count	16
Design and construction
Architect	Thomas Heatherwick
Architecture firm	Heatherwick Studio
Structural engineer	Thornton Tomasetti (Engineer Of Record) and AKT II (Design Engineer)
Main contractor	AECOM Tishman

The Vessel (also called TKA) is a unique building and popular place to visit in New York City. It's part of the big Hudson Yards area in Manhattan. A British designer named Thomas Heatherwick created it. It looks like a giant honeycomb and is 16 stories tall. Inside, there are 154 sets of stairs, 2,500 steps, and 80 platforms for people to explore.

The Vessel is the main attraction in the large Hudson Yards Public Square. It cost a lot of money to build, around $200 million. The idea for the Vessel was first shown to the public in September 2016. Building started in April 2017, with parts made in Italy and shipped to the United States. The highest part was put in place by December 2017. The Vessel officially opened on March 15, 2019. However, it has been closed to visitors since January 2021.

The name "TKA" stands for "Temporarily Known As." When it first opened, people had different opinions about the Vessel. Some liked its important spot in Hudson Yards. Others thought it was too fancy. There were also some early concerns about rules for taking photos and how easy it was for people with disabilities to visit. These issues were later fixed.

What is the Vessel?
History of the Vessel
Gallery
See also

What is the Vessel?

How the Vessel is Built

Viewed from 11th Avenue (2019)

The Vessel is a 16-story building, about 150-foot-tall (46 m). It's made of many connected staircases. It stands in the middle of the 5-acre (2.0 ha) Hudson Yards Public Square. Thomas Heatherwick designed it to have 154 flights of stairs, 2,500 steps, and 80 platforms. If you walked all the stairs, it would be more than 1 mile (1.6 km) long!

The steps are covered in a shiny copper color. They are arranged like a giant jungle gym. The design was inspired by Indian stepwells, which are old wells with many steps. Up to 1,000 people can be on the Vessel at one time. To make it accessible for everyone, the structure also has ramps and an elevator.

The Vessel is 50 feet (15 m) wide at its bottom. It gets much wider at the top, reaching 150 feet (46 m) across. Stephen Ross, who helped develop Hudson Yards, said he wanted the Vessel to be a special landmark. Heatherwick hoped that visitors would climb and explore it like a fun jungle gym. From the very top, you can see the Hudson River.

The Area Around the Vessel

The Vessel was designed along with the Hudson Yards Public Square. This public park was created by Thomas Woltz. The 5-acre (2 ha) square has 28,000 plants and 225 trees. These are all located on a big platform where Hudson Yards is built.

On the south side of the plaza, there is a shaded area with many trees. Near the southeast entrance, you can find a fountain. There is also a special garden near the entrance to the New York City Subway's 34th Street–Hudson Yards station. The plaza also connects to the High Line, which is an elevated park.

Building Costs and How it was Assembled

The Vessel was first expected to cost $75 million. But the final cost ended up being between $150 and $200 million. Heatherwick explained that building the complex steel pieces made it more expensive. The parts of the Vessel were put together in a town called Monfalcone in Italy. Then, ships carried these large sections across the ocean to the Hudson River docks in New York.

The Name of the Structure

"Vessel" was meant to be a temporary name while the building was being constructed. The plan was to choose a permanent name later. After the Vessel opened, Hudson Yards asked the public for ideas for a new name. They even made a website for people to send in their suggestions.

History of the Vessel

Beginning of construction, May 2017

Stephen Ross wanted to create something truly amazing and important for Hudson Yards. He looked at ideas from five famous artists. But he didn't like any of their plans. Then, a friend introduced him to Thomas Heatherwick. Just six weeks later, Ross loved Heatherwick's idea right away.

Heatherwick said his design for the Vessel came from a childhood memory. He remembered falling in love with an old, discarded wooden staircase at a building site. News about Heatherwick being chosen for the project first came out in October 2013.

The design for the Vessel was shown to the public on September 14, 2016. Many people attended the event, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. A dance group called the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performed. Their dance showed the connected design of the Vessel's staircases.

In April 2017, the first big piece of the sculpture was put in place at Hudson Yards. Construction officially started on April 18. The first 10 pieces of the 75-piece structure were installed. The project was expected to be finished by spring 2019. The rest of the pieces arrived in five different shipments. The highest part of the structure was installed in December 2017.

In October 2018, it was announced that the Vessel would open on March 15, 2019. Tickets to go inside would be available in February. By January 2019, officials were still asking for ideas to rename the Vessel. Even though it had no official name, the Hudson Yards website called it the "Hudson Yards Staircase." The Vessel opened exactly as planned on March 15, 2019.