SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt operates a multi-sensory experiential observation deck across the 91st-93rd floors of Midtown Manhattan's tallest skyscraper, serving tourists, architecture and art enthusiasts, and private event clients with immersive installations and curated amenities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What SUMMIT One Vanderbilt does
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt operates an experiential observation deck atop One Vanderbilt, the tallest skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, spanning the 91st to 93rd floors and entered via Grand Central Terminal. The venue combines digital projection-mapping installations, mirrored infinity rooms, and a glass-bottomed ledge to deliver a multi-sensory experience distinct from traditional skyline viewing. Core products include the AIR immersive art series by Kenzo Digital (Transcendence, Affinity, and Unity rooms with 3D face-capture), the Reflect installation featuring Yayoi Kusama's "Clouds" sculpture, the Levitation glass-floor experience, and the optional Ascent add-on — described as the world's largest external all-glass elevator. Supporting amenities include the Aprés Nordic-themed café and bar on the 93rd floor, an open-air terrace, a boutique merchandise shop, and a 3D photography Portal.
The business operates as a direct-to-consumer attraction generating the majority of revenue from admission tickets, supplemented by food and beverage, private event rentals (curated by Chef Daniel Boulud via SUMMIT Events), merchandise, and photography packages. Tickets are sold through the official website, on-site box office, and physical entry points integrated with Grand Central Terminal, with no third-party reseller channel. Primary customer segments are tourists and intentional travelers, architecture and art enthusiasts, corporate and private event clients, and visitors requiring accessibility accommodations. The legal entity is Summit Ova Tenant LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SL Green Realty Corp (NYSE: SLG), which developed the building with Kohn Pedersen Fox and invested $220 million in surrounding public infrastructure; 1% of gross ticket sales is reinvested through the SUMMIT Foundation into the Food1st Foundation for food-insecurity programs in NYC.
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
- Legal name
- Summit Ova Tenant LLC
- Website
- https://summitov.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SUMMIT One Vanderbilt operates a multi-sensory experiential observation deck across the 91st-93rd floors of Midtown Manhattan's tallest skyscraper, serving tourists, architecture and art enthusiasts, and private event clients with immersive installations and curated amenities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Observation Deck and Immersive Tourist Attraction
- akta.pro primary industry
- Observation Decks & Viewing Platforms (THAJACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury MICE & Conference Resorts (THAGACAN), Rooftop Bars & Outdoor Nightlife Venues (MPAGAIAF)
Keywords
Where SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Observation Deck Tickets: Primary revenue from admission tickets to the three-level multisensory experience. General admission includes access to all core exhibits across B1, OB1, OB2, and OB3 floors. Upsell opportunities include Ascent glass elevator add-on and Portal 3D photo-capture.
- Food and Beverage: Aprés Nordic-themed café and bar on 93rd floor serving food and drinks with panoramic views. Outdoor terrace food carts and bar service during warmer seasons.
- Private Events: Exclusive venue rentals for corporate events, celebrations, and private gatherings curated by Chef Daniel Boulud. Dedicated events booking portal and on-site events team.
- Merchandise: SUMMIT boutique shops selling branded merchandise and keepsakes on OB3 floor and ground floor exit shop
- Photography Packages: Optional photo packages through Memento kiosks where guests can purchase photos captured throughout their experience (via wristband photo system)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission Experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ascent Add-On Experience |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Fourth of July Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Flex at Lunch Ticket Package |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt operates a multi-sensory experiential observation deck atop the One Vanderbilt skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. The venue spans three floors (91st-93rd) and blends immersive art installations (AIR by Kenzo Digital, Reflect by Yayoi Kusama), interactive technology, panoramic city views, dining, and a glass-floor ledge, complemented by optional add-on experiences such as the Ascent all-glass elevator and Portal 3D photo capture.
Product overview
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is an experiential observation deck venue offering a multi-sensory journey atop Midtown Manhattan's tallest skyscraper (One Vanderbilt). The core experience spans three levels (91st-93rd floors) featuring immersive art installations: AIR by Kenzo Digital (Transcendence, Affinity, Unity rooms), Reflect by Yayoi Kusama, and Levitation glass ledge. Add-on experiences include Ascent (world's largest external glass elevator) and Portal (3D photo capture). Amenities include Après Nordic café, outdoor Terrace, and Boutique gift shop. The venue also offers private event hosting through SUMMIT Events, curated by Chef Daniel Boulud, plus travel and architecture guides for visitors. The experience incorporates accessibility features including sensory maps, wheelchair access, and ASL interpretation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Experience General admission experience granting access to three levels (B1 entrance, 91st-93rd floors) of immersive art installations, panoramic Manhattan views, dining venues, and interactive technology for individual tourists and visitors.
- AIR Immersive Art Installation Multi-room immersive art installation by Kenzo Digital featuring mirrored rooms, floating silver mylar balloon chambers, and personalized digital cloud experiences with 3D face capture technology.
- Reflect Art Installation Art installation by internationally renowned artist Yayoi Kusama featuring a metallic 'Clouds' sculpture on the 91st floor, offering guests an artistic contemplative space.
- Levitation Glass Ledge Glass-bottomed ledge on the 92nd floor extending approximately 1,070–1,100 feet over Madison Avenue, allowing guests to look straight down from the skybox.
- Ascent Glass Elevator Optional add-on experience featuring the world's largest external all-glass elevator that rises an additional 120 feet above the observation deck for elevated panoramic views of NYC; includes virtual queueing during peak times.
- Après Nordic Café Nordic-themed café and bar on the 93rd floor serving food and drinks with panoramic Manhattan views and seasonal alpine plants.
- SUMMIT Terrace Open-air terrace on the 93rd floor featuring panoramic Manhattan views, seasonal alpine flowers, and outdoor bar and food cart services during warmer seasons.
- SUMMIT Boutique On-site boutique shops on the 93rd floor and ground-floor exit selling branded SUMMIT merchandise and keepsakes.
- SUMMIT Events (Private Events) Private venue rental service for corporate events, celebrations, and private gatherings, curated by Chef Daniel Boulud, with a dedicated booking portal and on-site events team.
- Portal 3D Photo Experience Optional add-on 3D photo-capture experience on the 93rd floor where cameras scan participants and superimpose their portraits onto AIR: Transcendence imagery, with photos available for purchase via Memento kiosks.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reinvests 1% of gross ticket sales in community through SUMMIT Foundation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Food1st FoundationcoreNonprofit initiative launched by SL Green during COVID-19 pandemic to address food insecurity in NYC. SUMMIT reinvests 1% of gross ticket sales through the foundation. Partnership with Chef Daniel Boulud and over 30 kitchens. Served 600,000+ meals to food-insecure New Yorkers.
- SL GreencoreSL Green Realty Corp is the developer and owner of One Vanderbilt. The parent company developed the $220 million public realm improvements and infrastructure enhancements. SL Green launched Food1st Foundation during COVID-19 to address food insecurity in NYC.
- Daniel BouludcoreCelebrated Chef and Restaurateur curates SUMMIT Events, providing culinary expertise for private events and corporate gatherings at the venue. Also partnered with SL Green on Food1st Foundation during COVID-19.
- Kenzo DigitalcoreCreator of the AIR immersive art installations (AIR: Transcendence, AIR: Affinity, AIR: Unity) featured throughout SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. Kenzo Digital's work at SUMMIT highlighted in Forbes and Panasonic articles about immersive venues driving business growth.
- Yayoi KusamacoreInternationally renowned artist whose metallic 'Clouds' sculpture is featured in the Reflect exhibit on the 91st floor of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
- Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)coreInternationally recognized architecture firm that designed One Vanderbilt building. KPF created the sustainable, high-performance skyscraper that houses SUMMIT observation experiences.
- PanasonicminorPanasonic featured SUMMIT One Vanderbilt in marketing content about immersive venues and business growth, highlighting Kenzo Digital's AIR installations as examples of advanced technology (digital signage, projection mapping) driving customer engagement.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Top of the Rock Observation Deck: Iconic three-level observation deck atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza offering 360° views of NYC; competes for the same tourist itinerary slot and ticket wallet.
- One World Observatory: Observation experience atop One World Trade Center featuring SkyPod elevators and immersive media; competes for premium tourist and group-event spend in Lower Manhattan.
- Skydeck Chicago (Willis Tower): Iconic US observation deck featuring 'The Ledge' glass-bottom boxes extending outside the building — comparable thrill-engineered attraction to SUMMIT's Levitation and Ascent.
- Edge at Hudson Yards: NYC observation deck at Hudson Yards with outdoor sky deck and 'SkyPod' step-out ledge — the most direct head-to-head competitor for premium experiential visitors in Manhattan.
- Empire State Building Observatory: Recently renovated multi-level observation experience (86th and 102nd floors) at one of NYC's most-visited landmarks; long-standing category leader and direct pricing competitor.
- 360 Chicago Observation Deck: Observation deck on the 94th floor of 875 N. Michigan Ave (formerly John Hancock Center) featuring TILT, a glass-tilting thrill ride analogous to SUMMIT's Ascent concept.
Emerging players
- Meow Wolf: Operator of large-format immersive art installations (e.g., House of Eternal Return, Convergence Station) using technology-driven, narrative-themed environments — closest analog in the immersive-experiential category beyond observation decks.
- teamLab: International interdisciplinary art collective producing large-scale digital, immersive installations (e.g., teamLab Borderless, Planets); a thought peer for the AIR / digital-projection-mapping element of SUMMIT's experience.
Regional players
- Reunion Tower GeO-Deck: Observation deck and event venue in Dallas, TX — comparable single-asset observation + private-events business model, but operating in a different geographic market.
Others
- High Roller Observation Wheel (The LINQ): Las Vegas observation-based attraction with on-board event/corporate packages; not a direct deck competitor but illustrates how observation experiences can be monetized at scale in a tourism-driven market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt social profiles
Digital presenceSUMMIT One Vanderbilt compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
What does SUMMIT One Vanderbilt do?
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt operates a multi-sensory experiential observation deck atop the One Vanderbilt skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. The venue spans three floors (91st-93rd) and blends immersive art installations (AIR by Kenzo Digital, Reflect by Yayoi Kusama), interactive technology, panoramic city views, dining, and a glass-floor ledge, complemented by optional add-on experiences such as the Ascent all-glass elevator and Portal 3D photo capture.
Is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt a public or private company?
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SUMMIT One Vanderbilt founded?
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt based?
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does SUMMIT One Vanderbilt make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Observation Deck Tickets are the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage, private Events, merchandise and photography Packages.
Who are SUMMIT One Vanderbilt's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Top of the Rock Observation Deck, One World Observatory, Skydeck Chicago (Willis Tower), Edge at Hudson Yards, Empire State Building Observatory and 360 Chicago Observation Deck. Emerging players are Meow Wolf and teamLab. Reunion Tower GeO-Deck is listed as a regional player. High Roller Observation Wheel (The LINQ) is listed as an others.
Does SUMMIT One Vanderbilt have an API?
No public API is recorded for SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.
What industry is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt in?
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt's product category is Observation Deck and Immersive Tourist Attraction. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJACAA, Observation Decks & Viewing Platforms, with a secondary code of THAGACAN, Luxury MICE & Conference Resorts.