Iconic Manhattan tower reopening Monday after suicides forced closure
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NEW YORK −The Vessel, a towering sculpture that closed after it became the site of four suicides, reopened this week with new safety features.
Workers recently installed steel safety mesh along the outer perimeter of the iconic architectural structure, which has dozens of overlapping landings.
The Vessel in Manhattan's Hudson Yards first opened to visitors in 2019. The glittering, coppery honeycomb construction includes 154 flights of stairs providing views of the West Side and the Hudson River. It was created by the English designer Thomas Heatherwick and was "designed to be entered and explored," according to the Hudson Yards website.
Four suicides happened at the site over an 18-month span, the last in July 2021, according to NBC News 4 New York. It has been closed since then.
The Vessel reopened Monday to the public. Tourists and locals can buy tickets online for $10 or visit for free on Thursdays. Officials said visitors won't be able to access the top floor, which is still getting safety updates.
On Monday, business staff told the news station they were hopeful the tower's reopening would bring more people to the area.
During the years it was open, about 2 million visitors saw The Vessel annually, according to its website. The views change daily depending on the weather and other factors, the site says, and due to the sculpture's "signature reflective cladding," "the shifting daylight, and the "movement of people in and around the structure."
Related Companies, the business that owns the Hudson Yards development, did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Contributing: Reuters
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