V.I.P.’s, Vessel, good vibes at Hudson Yards
BY GABE HERMAN
Hudson Yards was the place to be Friday morning.
Everyone was there, from Anderson Cooper
to Carmelo Anthony, even Big Bird.
Much of Hudson Yards offi cially opened to the public
on March 15, and was ushered in with some pomp and
circumstance.
Opening ceremonies for the new West Side neighborhood,
which is still very much surrounded by construction
on all sides, were held in what are being called the
Public Square and Gardens.
More specifi cally, the events were in the center of the
5-acre area, at the base of the Vessel, the 15-story-tall,
honeycomb-shaped structure/artwork that visitors can
climb for impressive views. The Vessel and the Gardens
are now open to the public, along with the adjacent
Shops and Restaurants building.
The ceremonies kicked off with a performance by
singer Andra Day. Anderson Cooper was the master of
ceremonies and noted that CNN and parent company
Warner Media are
moving into
Hudson
Yards.
PHOTO BY CLINT SPAULDING/GETTY IMAGES FOR RELATED
Padma Lakshmi climbing one of the staircases
in the Vessel at the Hudson Yards opening.
“I’ve never seen the creation of a whole neighborhood,
and a beautiful one,” the news anchor said. He marveled
at how fast it was constructed. “I’ve had bathroom renovations
that have taken six years,” he quipped.
Senator Charles Schumer spoke of the importance of
having developed infrastructure in the area, including
extending the 7 train to 11th Ave., which he said allowed
for Hudson Yards to be built.
“Two decades ago this area was barren,” he said.
“This is a historic moment — the future has arrived,”
said Steve Ross, chairperson of Related Companies. “I
hope New York benefi ts from what we have done. We
put our heart and soul into it.”
Related is developing the megaproject, along with Oxford
Properties Group.
Among those thanked at the event were former Mayor
Michael Bloomberg, including for zoning changes to
the area and working to extend the 7 train. And Mayor
de Blasio’s administration, and city agencies in general,
were thanked for their efforts.
Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction
Trades Council of Greater New York, also
spoke. B.C.T.C. reached a truce with Related in early
March after a yearlong boycott and
protest of the project for using
some non-union labor.
LaBarbera said the Vessel
is not just a structure
but a work of art, and
that the ironworkers
and everyone who
constructed it
took great pride
in the work.
“This project
is iconic
and transformative
for
the city of
New York,”
he said of
H u d s o n
Yards over
all. “We were
e x t r eme l y
proud to build
this project. It
was built by human
hands, union
human hands.”
Notables in the
crowd included City
Council Speaker Corey
Johnson, Manhattan Borough
President Gale Brewer, Assemblymember
Richard Gottfried and
basketball star Carmelo Anthony. The former
Knick forward was the second-tallest fi gure there,
after Big Bird, who marveled to Anderson Cooper about
the Vessel, “How big is the bird that lives in that nest?”
Other buildings in Hudson Yards have already
opened. Tenants have been moving into the commercial
towers at 30 and 55 Hudson
Yards, and residents
have started
moving into
15 Huds
o n
PHOTO BY DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY
IMAGES FOR RELATED
Confetti fills the air around the
Vessel — a walkable sculpture — during the
celebration at the Hudson Yards opening event
on March 15.
Yards. And 10 Hudson Yards — another commercial
building — opened back in May 2016.
Made of bronzed steel, the Vessel art
structure stands 150 feet tall and has 154
interconnecting fl ights of stairs. It is
free to visit but requires a ticket that
must be booked in advance.
The Instagram-friendly structure
has a unique design and
provides impressive views of
the surrounding neighborhood
and nearby Hudson
River. It is open to the air,
and those who are afraid of
heights might have trouble
making it all the way to the
top. It includes an elevator,
which climbs along one side
of the structure’s interior at an
angle.
The Vessel’s designer, Thomas
Heatherwick, said he based
its concept on the city’s history of
public spaces, including Central Park
and the High Line.
“We wanted to make something free for
everyone,” he said.
He told the crowd there was a fi nal step before
the piece was complete — namely, activating it with
use.
“The point was to lift up 700 people at a time, and
thousands every day,” he said. “It’s not fi nished until
you’re on it.”
PHOTO BY CLINT SPAULDING/
GETTY IMAGES FOR RELATED
Anderson Cooper and “Sesame Street” ’s
Big Bird having fun at the opening of Hudson
Yards.
6 March 21 - April 3, 2019 DEX Schneps Media