Dive Brief:
- Construction has begun on the $200 million polished steel Vessel sculpture that will be the centerpiece of the $25 billion Hudson Yards development in Manhattan, according to Architectural Record.
- The 150-foot-tall copper-colored piece, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, will include 154 flights of stairs, 2,500 steps and 80 landings and will be the focal point of a 5-acre public plaza at the heart of the 28-acre development.
- The sculpture will be built from 75 pieces, which have been manufactured in Italy, and Heatherwick said they will fit together "like a jigsaw puzzle." Developers have characterized Vessel as an interactive piece of art and said it should be complete in late 2018.
Dive Insight:
Stephen Ross, chairman of Related Cos., told Crain's New York Business last year that Vessel would "become to New York what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris."
This is the latest addition to the massive Hudson Yards project, which is expected to add $18.9 billion to the New York City economy by the time it's complete. The project will also make up 2.5% of the city's gross domestic product and, according to consulting firm Appleseed, will deliver almost $500 million in tax revenue.
When the project is complete, it will offer up 50 million square feet of office, retail and residential space and provide 5,000 affordable housing units.
Other recent development news at Hudson Yards includes a proposed deal between Related and former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to develop a 1.4-million-square-foot mixed-use project about a block away.