New York's Vessel reopens with safety nets after suicides

The Vessel, a 50-meter honeycomb-like structure by Thomas Heatherwick at Hudson Yards, New York, reopens on an unspecified date in 2024 after being closed indefinitely in 2021 following four suicides. The reopening includes the installation of metal nets and closure of the upper levels. The sculpture, costing about $200 million and comprising over 150 ramps and 80 platforms, was commissioned over a decade ago as an inspiration from ancient Indian staircases. It became a popular Instagram spot but also gained a grim reputation. The article criticizes the nets as a palliative measure, noting that New York City recorded over 500 suicides annually between 2015 and 2020, and that homelessness reached over 90,000 in November 2023, the highest since the Great Depression. Nationally, homelessness hit 650,000 in January 2023, a 12% increase from the previous year, while overdose deaths in 2021 were six times higher than in 1999, with a 16% increase from 2020 to 2021. The piece, authored by Giulia Giaume on Artribune, argues the nets merely displace the problem without addressing underlying mental health and social crises.