VESSEL, NEW YORK CITY
Dudeney describes the process as “more like designing a bridge in terms of how it’s been put together and the materials that have been used”
physical movement and how much it needs to hold – lots of different things over the course of its design affected what you see now.”
Dudeney describes the process as “more like designing a bridge in terms of how it’s been put together and the materials that were used.” They faced the “classic” issue of how to balance the components so it would provide the necessary stiffness but not be big and bulky. Their work with engineers AKTII and Thornton Tomasetti was “paramount” in making the structure work. “They did lots of dynamic analysis on it, we had tuned mass dampers all along the top which helped calibrate the whole structure’s movement,” he says. Software was also used to model how people would use it. Surprisingly, the base was another of the most complicated parts. “Once you get up the top the platforms are large, there’s more space – the base is the most constrained element,” Dudeney says. There are four sets of stairs and the lift is squeezed into “the smallest gaps you could possibly have.” The varying angles also proved a challenge, with every steel and concrete connection having to be thought through individually. While these elements presented challenges, Dudeney found the biggest trial to be the lift, an element that the studio were mainly responsible for. “It is an absolute feat of engineering,” he says. The shape of Vessel meant it had to move on a curve. He explains its unprecedented nature: “To those of us who don’t design lifts, it seems it should be possible, but actually it’s not out there.” The final product was custom-engineered and custom-built by Comai Technologies, and is “one of the more unique experiences on the Vessel”.
Mixed reactions Since Vessel – which is free to explore – was completed in March, it’s been subjected to some fairly harsh online criticism online. But it isn’t something Dudeney and the team are particularly phased by: “Any project will have negative feedback, and
ADF OCTOBER 2019
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© Michael Moran for Related-Oxford
that’s just the nature of it,” he says. “It’s one of the amazing things about this industry, you’re not working towards an echo chamber – you have all of New York and there’s divided opinions. We’re always ready and prepared for that.” Their focus, he says, was very much on creating a public space for people to enjoy – something they’ve undeniably achieved. Nearly one million people have visited since its completion and “that’s people going inside, not walking past and taking a photo,” Dudeney explains. “For us that’s amazing. We always have to work on that broader spectrum.”
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