About our rating systemAs Taylor Swift famously opined, "Haters gonna hate, hate, hate." When the renderings of Hudson Yards were first made public, no element elicited quite so much derision as this massive interactive statue. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the open tower is covered by copper-colored stainless steel, is either basket-, pineapple- or schwarma-shaped (depending on your Freudian disposition), and is made up of 154 sets of stairs that interlink in a complex fashion to 80 platforms. For the Fitbit set: That makes almost 2,500 individual steps (there is an elevator to the top, as well). But because of suicides from the structure it is not currently open to climbers, sadly.
I was ready to dislike it, too, but it takes on a certain kooky majesty in person. Yes, its shiny peach-colored skin looks too Austin Powers-ish from the outside, but once you’re climbing the interior, it catches the light in a way that feels more mesmerizing than garish. The interlocking weave of the structure, which cuts up the views into geometric segments, is also thrilling to experience from the inside, and turns even the most pedestrian photographer into an Instagram master. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up New York City's Eiffel Tower: reviled when first erected, but eventually the city's most beloved icon. Hopefully it will be able to reopen soon, with safetly measures in place.
One final note: Though the developers announced that "Vessel" was a temporary name, it seems to have stuck. That being said, it could have a name change by the time you visit (rumors are swirling as we go to press).
