The Vessel, a tourist attraction in the Hudson Yards area of Manhattan, is set to reopen this Friday after it closed earlier this year following multiple suicides at the structure.
The 150-foot set of spiraling staircases will now require a special set of safety rules and guidelines for those wishing to visit as it reopens this weekend, according to the attraction's official website.
Following it's closure in January 2021 after a person had killed themselves — the third suicide at the site since it opened to the public in 2019 — Hudson Yards developer the Related Companies met with a community board and suicide prevention specialists to strategize what changes should be made to increase the safety of the attraction, The New York Times reported.
As of Friday, visitors can expect increased security at The Vessel, and guests will no longer be allowed to enter alone. Those who want to make the hike up the structure for views extending over the city will now be required to enter in pairs or groups only.
Previously, admission to the structure was free of charge, but now, guests over the age of five will be required to purchase tickets to enter. Additionally, staff will be trained to identify suspicious behavior or actions indicating someone could be considering self harm, according to the Times.
But the Related Companies says it will not raise the height of the protective barriers currently in place, despite the suicide prevention experts and community board urging that this would be the most effective method to deter further suicides.
The Harvard University School of Public Health determined that "evidence from a small number of studies shows that installing barriers at popular jumping sites reduces suicides from those sites."
The Vessel was designed by Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio and first opened to the public in Hudson Yards in 2019, offering views of the western part of Manhattan, the Hudson River, and beyond.
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.