Cloud Gate, a large public sculpture in Millennium Park, Chicago, was designed by British sculptor Anish Kapoor. The elliptical steel structure has a mirrored surface and is known as the ‘bean’. Visitors can walk underneath the sculpture and see distorted reflections of themselves. Construction took four months, and the sculpture was unveiled in 2004. An official dedication ceremony was held in 2006, and admission is free.
Cloud Gate is the name of a large public sculpture in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago in the state of Illinois. This sculpture, which is an elliptical steel structure with a mirrored surface, was designed by British sculptor Anish Kapoor. Kapoor’s intent was to create a unique artistic structure that could be thought of as a gateway to the clouds. The unusual shape of the sculpture led to the Cloud Gate which has also come to be known as the ‘bean’.
The “bean” has a rounded top surface that offers visitors countless different reflections of the clouds and Chicago skyline. Although Cloud Gate measures 33 feet (10 meters) high, it was designed with a 12-foot (3.65 meters) arch across the bottom surface. This arch allows visitors to walk underneath the sculpture for a closer look. They can interact with it while seeing distorted reflections of themselves and others. Anish Kapoor designed Cloud Gate to look like a liquid drop of mercury.
Born in Bombay, Kapoor is an accomplished artist whose work appears around the world. However, the Cloud Gate sculpture was his first public work exhibited in the United States. The original design plans for this one-of-a-kind statue were for it to be built in California and moved to its current site in Millennium Park. Due to the size and nature of the project, transportation became too dangerous and expensive, so the decision was made to haul the materials and build the facility on site.
Construction took place over a four-month period starting in March 2004. Curved steel beams were used as the framework for 168 mirrored steel plates that were welded together to create the unusual shape. The sculpture was assembled under a large tent to keep it hidden from public view.
Millennium Park opened to the public in a celebration on July 16, 2004. Cloud Gate was unveiled to the public on that date, but it wasn’t quite finished—the welds between the steel plates were still visible. Kapoor wanted Cloud Gate to appear seamless, so the sculpture was closed again in early 2005. It underwent an elaborate polishing regimen that smoothed out the seams and gave it a mirrored surface.
An official dedication ceremony for Cloud Gate was held on May 15, 2006. As of 2011, viewing hours are daily from 6am to 11pm and admission is free. Visitors should bring a camera and take advantage of the many photo opportunities this attraction has to offer.
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