What is the name of Thomas Heatherwick's NYC installation?

Vessel, the centerpiece of the Public Square and Gardens, created by Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio, is a new kind of public landmark. Comprised of 154 interconnecting flights of stairs and 80 landings, Vessel will lift visitors up, offering a multitude of ways to engage with and experience Hudson Yards.

Thomas Heatherwick's NYC installation. Photograph by Hudson Yards New York, courtesy of Hudson Yards New York

Thomas Heatherwick’s Hudson Yards bronze and steel structure-sculpture will have its public debut on March 15th. Known for some time as “The Vessel,” and having been in the headlines for the past few months the project's most recent update lies awaits public opinion for official name, what the structure will be officially named?

According to The Hudson Yard's website, the structure has been named "New York's Staircase," a fitting name due to the 154 interconnecting flights of stairs - almost 2,500 individual steps—and 80 landings. Many have expressed their opinions on the project as a whole. There are those who are completely in favor of the proposal, while others have shown that they detest the project overall.

During the first times, there will be dedicated time slots, at least in the beginning when the attraction is sure to be flooded with New Yorkers and tourists, however since the structure can hold a whopping 1,000 people at a time, this shouldn’t be much of a problem.

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Thomas Heatherwick's NYC installation. Photograph by @joeyvisuals, courtesy of Hudson Yards New York

Thomas Heatherwick's NYC installation. Photograph by @SNPhotography88, courtesy of Hudson Yards New York

Thomas Heatherwick's NYC installation. Photograph by Carlos Melia, courtesy of Hudson Yards New York

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THOMAS HEATHERWICK

Thomas Heatherwick established in 1994, Heatherwick Studio recognised for its work in architecture, urban infrastructure, sculpture, design and strategic thinking. Today a team of 180, including architects, designers and makers, works from a combined studio and workshop in Kings Cross, London.

At the heart of the studio’s work is a profound commitment to finding innovative design solutions, with a dedication to artistic thinking and the latent potential of materials and craftsmanship. This is achieved through a working methodology of collaborative rational inquiry, undertaken in a spirit of curiosity and experimentation.

In the twenty years of its existence, Heatherwick Studio has worked in many countries, with a wide range of commissioners and in a variety of regulatory environments. Through this experience, the studio has acquired a high level of expertise in the design and realisation of unusual projects, with a particular focus on the large scale.

The studio’s work includes a number of nationally significant projects for the UK, including the award-winning UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, the Olympic Cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and the New Bus for London.

Thomas is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects; a Senior Research Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum; and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the Royal College of Art, University of Dundee, University of Brighton, Sheffield Hallam University and University of Manchester.

He has won the Prince Philip Designers Prize, and, in 2004, was the youngest practitioner to be appointed a Royal Designer for Industry. In 2010, Thomas was awarded the RIBA’s Lubetkin Prize and the London Design Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to design.

In 2013 Thomas was awarded a CBE for his services to the design industry.