Since opening in March, Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel at Hudson Yards has caught headlines for its ostentatious design, its billing as “public art”, its repudiation of the tenants of accessibility, and its overreaching rights to the photos taken by visitors. Also drawing plenty of scrutiny is the name of the project, the Vessel, which despite its prominence on promotional materials, remains a working title.

As visitors begin streaming in, Related Companies, the developer behind the massive, $25 billion neighborhood, has been asking for public input on the perfect name for their architectural centerpiece. And, the internet and company has come up with a good sum of suggestions; ‘The Copper Kebab’, ‘Lady Liberty’s Diva Cup’, and ‘Escalator Broken’ have been particularly popular options.

However, just as the free ticket to climb comes with the price of waiting an hour online to reserve a spot to wait in line, everything public about this project has been a hoax—including the competition for a new name, which would have given the plebes unprecedented say in titling New York City’s Eiffel Tower.

Instead, the powers that be have decided to go in a different direction, taking another big step in the crass commercialization of public space. This morning, Related announced that they had finalized an agreement with IKEA for the project’s naming rights. Under a 10-year, $690 million deal, Heatherwick’s monument will officially become known as ‘the IKEA Vässel’.

On the name, a spokesperson for the company said: “The original placeholder, the Vessel, for which the Swedish word is fartyg, has already begun to resonate with the public. To honor this, we decided to simply trade in an Ä, common to our quirky brand names, in order to signal the distinct place the Vässel has in New York as a repository for the city’s hopes and dreams.”

IKEA Vässel featuring ball pit by Snarkitecture

The change is scheduled to kick in this August. For the grand re-opening, IKEA has teamed up with the New York-based firm Snarkitecture, whose immersive installation venue ‘Snark Park’ has opened nearby on the second floor of the Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards. Known for their instagrammable ball pits, the team of designers will fill the Vässel with 10 million blue and yellow antimicrobial balls, an homage to IKEA’s signature colors. It will be visitable to the public throughout all of August.



The partnership between the developer and the Swedish furniture company will lead to other branding tie-ins. An IKEA logo will be added to the structure, the stairs will be painted in distinctive blue and yellow stripes, and wayfinding signage will be added to ensure you can never find your way out. In addition, IKEA will be opening up a Swedish meatball tasting bar at the observation deck of Kohn Pedersen Fox’s 30 Hudson Yards, offering diners unparalleled views of the Hudson River as they nibble on contemporary renditions of a classic Scandinavian treat.

For Phase two of Hudson Yards, it is rumored that IKEA will be opening its first ever IKEÅ, the company’s new higher-end sister store.