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Air,” the boundless, structureless art installation designed by Kenzo Digital, makes up the bulk of the SUMMIT experience.
The journey starts with a short movie that breaks down the history and construction of One Vanderbilt. You are then invited to make use of state-of-the-art 3D face-scanning technology that allows you to become part of the installation. (This will come up again later!) The elevator, Rise, will shoot you up to the 91st floor in less than 43 seconds. Here, your relationship with physics and time begins to take on a different meaning. Everything you just experienced has prepared your senses for the journey you are about to take.
The elevator door opens up to the Hall of Light, a corridor filled with color. The corridor leads to Transcendence 1, a mirror-covered chapter of “Air,” with panoramic views of the greatest city in the world. The captivating room photographs beautifully and may be a fun spot for a family photo or the ultimate spot for a selfie.
After experiencing Transcendence, you have the opportunity to slow down while indulging yourself in “Clouds,” an art installation of curving, reflective sculptures by world-renowned artist Yayoi Kusama, whose sculptures, paintings, and other projects are among the most influential of the past century. This room, Reflect, brings you closer to the structure of the building itself with a scale model of One Vanderbilt and detailed information about the building’s construction.
After your first glimpse of Central Park to the north, you are led directly to the next room, Affinity, which is filled with floating reflective orbs. Affectionately called the “ballroom” by guests, this chapter invites you to interact with the exhibit in yet another way. When you step into this space and become surrounded by balloons, it’s impossible not to revert to your sense of wonder and lose yourself in the moment. Once again, you become part of the exhibit before you even realize it.
Just in time to go back to the south side of NYC, you make your way to Transcendence 2. This room is one level above Transcendence 1, on the 92nd floor, and it provides a mesmerizing
perspective of the NYC skyline-surrounded space that both rooms share. Keep an eye on the Chrysler Building when you step onto the escalators — guests love watching its iconic spire come in and out of view as they’re brought to the next exhibit. Here is where you take it all in and witness the emotions in those who are just entering “Air” below you.
Moving to the west side of the building, thrill-seekers can test their mettle by standing in Levitation, glass-bottomed ledges that project out from the main room and hover 1,100 feet above Madison Avenue.
Remember the face scan at the entrance? Unity is where this comes into play, and you are absorbed in the art in yet another way. In this room, you can see your likenesses appear in clouds that fill a massive, wall-spanning screen that bridges the physical and digital reality of New York City — with you in it. Legend says that on overcast days, it almost looks like a perfect reflection of the world outside (if you can ignore the faces looking back at you).
From there, you visit Après, an eating and drinking
Nordic-style cafe with a terrace that wraps around the building, and a bar, where you can pause for a moment to catch your breath above the city that never sleeps. You then complete your experience with Ascent, the highest rack-and-pinion elevator system in the world. At 90 square feet, these are also the largest glass-bottomed elevators in the world. Ascent will take you on a unique journey up to the 105th floor, the highest elevation point in One Vanderbilt.
Guided through the different levels that interact with one another to create a cohesive experience, all the way from the ground floor up into the clouds, your perspective of the world around you is forever changed.
Looking for a hidden gem? Check out the bathrooms — even these mundane spaces have breathtaking views of the urban landscape. SUMMIT easily has some of the coolest bathrooms in New York City.
