The vessel reopens with a new steel mesh safety net to prevent suicide jumps

The vessel at Hudson Yards reopened to the public this week for the first time in three years, partially surrounded by a protective steel mesh screen intended to prevent a repeat of the four suicides that marred the original opening of the abstract structures.

“We are pleased to welcome guests from around the world back to the ship with additional safety measures,” said Jeff T. Blau, CEO of the facilities owner, Associates.

Associate built a honeycomb structure of interlocking staircases leading to nowhere as a landmark it hoped would be Hudson Yards’ answer to the Eiffel Tower when it opens in 2019.

“The Vessel is an iconic New York City property that has always been designed to be entered and explored—there is tremendous public demand for it,” Blau said in a statement announcing the re-opening. “Not a day goes by that visitors don’t approach our staff and ask where they can buy tickets and when it will open again – this interest has not diminished while we have been closed.”

Unfortunately, the structure was attractive not only to tourists, but also to people with self-destructive impulses. Even before opening, Release was warned that the 150-foot-tall Vessel and its low railings were an invitation to those with suicidal thoughts.

The warnings turned out to be prophetic. Four young men jumped to their deaths before Associates closed the building in 2021. There have been calls to shut it up permanently or even demolish it.

“Oh well,” said Shilpa Kulkarni, the mother of the last of the four fatalities at Wessel, Shiv Kulkarni, 14, when she was informed that Wessel was reopening. “They want to leave a sad past behind them, and they have this luxury because none of the children who died were related to them. This structure and development of this territory has purely economic consequences for them, and they will continue to reap the benefits despite the complete destruction of many human lives.”

Kulkarni said Associates never responded to requests from the youths’ families to create a memorial at the site or to involve the families in suicide prevention and mental health projects.

“No, they didn’t,” Kulkarni said when asked if she or the other families had ever been contacted.

Release worked with Vessel designer Thomas Heatherwick to create the protective mesh. “The steel mesh has been designed to withstand the elements without compromising the Vessel’s iconic shape and appearance,” the spokesperson said. The steel mesh is practically invisible from afar.

The lower two levels have been closed and reopened, but only part of the upper levels are open, the company said. “On the upper levels, only those parts of the vessel that were equipped with floor-to-ceiling steel mesh have reopened,” the company explained.

“The structural integrity of the mesh, which provides additional protection, requires it to be secured to both the top and bottom of each level of the existing structure,” the company added. “Since this is not possible on the upper level of the Vessel, this level will remain closed to the public.”

The ship will be open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm and admission is by timed ticket, which costs $10 per person. They can be purchased online or at Shipnyc.com, Associated reports.

New York residents will be admitted free on Thursday, the company said. Free tickets are only available online with proof of residence.