It's a staircase to never-man's land. Vessel is a larger-than-life work of art that offers a new way to connect with the largest city in the world. Vessel is not a place, but an interactive and unique experience. It is the eye-catching centerpiece of Hudson Yards. But what is it?!

Imagine Vessel as a giant honeycomb basket, made not of wax but of interconnected steel stairs. To be precise, 154 staircases, consisting of 2,500 individual steps on 15 floors with 80 landings. In total, the ship (literal translation of vessel) weighs 600 tons.

The idea is that people climb up and down these stairs for the reward of a never-before-seen view of New York on every landing. The specifications of the vessel are impressive. The hexagonal base of the structure is 15 meters wide. The upper end is 45 meters wide. Vessel can accommodate up to 1,000 people at a time, so tickets are required, which are free and available here .

The art object is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The tickets are free. You have to reserve it online in advance and you can do that here . You can reserve a maximum of 6 tickets at the same time.

Another option is: Appear at the vessel, there you can talk to one of the guards at the entrance, who will have you scan a code with your mobile phone. Then you have to wait until you receive an email with the tickets. This can take one, five or more hours, depending on crowds.

You'll find Manhattan's newest attraction on the West Side in Midtown, south of Hell's Kitchen and north of Chelsea. Hudson Yards stretches from 34th to 29th Street between 10th and 11th Avenue, in the heart of the complex at 30th Street you will find Vessel. Easily accessible on foot from Times Square, about 15-20 minutes walk. Then take the Suwbay line 7 to the last stop Hudson Yards.

The inspiration behind Vessel was a simple wooden staircase. Heatherwick, the architect, saw the staircase in an abandoned building and was struck by the strangeness of a staircase leading to nowhere. Heatherwick has also cited Indian Stairwells, Jungle Jim and Busby Berkeley musicals with many steps as influences.

Vessel also has a clear connection to Dutch artist MC Escher's endless staircase paintings in the 1950s and 60s. Whether you find these images beguiling or disturbing, you can't deny that they are extraordinary. The same can be said of Vessel.

Vessel looks like something out of a science fiction movie. Heatherwick's main goal is to lift people above the ground to give you a view of the city that is new and fresh.

This is the power of the high line, says Heatherwick, to give a "changed perspective on the world."

The team at Heatherwick Studios designed Vessel so that each layer can be built in segments. The bronzed steel and concrete parts were manufactured in a factory in Monfalcone, Italy. After shipping to New York, these segments were assembled like a giant 3D puzzle.

New York has no shortage of eye-catching buildings and structures. Heatherwick knew that if Vessel was going to stand out, it had to look different and stand out. Best of all, he made the structure interactive. Instead of observing Vessel from the top of the sightseeing tour bus, visitors should explore it up close. Heatherwick has also shared his intention to give visitors to the Vessel a training session.

"New Yorkers have a thing for fitness stuff," he said in the New York Times.

Fortunately, there is an elevator for those who cannot climb Vessel.

If Vessel is a free public art installation, who is footing the bill? The answer is Stephen Ross, the infamous billionaire who owns Hudson Yards. Hudson Yards is now the largest private real estate development in U.S. history. Ross owns and runs the company, Related, and owns a football team, the Miami Dolphins.

When completed, the Hudson Yard complex will include residential space, office space and a shopping center. But if Ross wanted to attract tourists to his new complex, he knew he needed something big and monumental. He chose Vessel. Some of Ross' employees questioned the size and purpose of Vessel, but Ross remained adamant. Ross's "baby" will become, as he calls it, an icon for New York, just like the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

However, that is the official explanation. The NY Times found that the city of New York invested $6 billion in Hudson Yards.