Plans for huge sculpture in New York public plaza unveiled

The concrete and steel structure, which looks like an inverted honeycomb, will stand in a 5-acre public plaza in Manhattan.

Heatherwick, whose other projects include the cauldron for the 2012 Olympics in London, said the sculpture "is the ultimate seeing-each-other device," because people climbing it would be able to see others on other platforms and those below.

The public square where "Vessel" will stand is planned as an outdoor venue for performances and art exhibits, with landscaping that includes 28,000 plants and trees.

The project, located near the northern terminus of another new landmark, the High Line elevated park, was met with enthusiasm from public art advocates.

"Over the course of the last decade, monumental public art installations have become part of New York City's celebrated cultural landscape," said Susan Freedman, president of the Public Art Fund, which puts on art exhibitions all over the city.