#ChicagoLandmarks | Cloud Gate a.k.a "The Bean"

#ChicagoLandmarks | Cloud Gate a.k.a "The Bean"
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Submitted by ChiPhotoGuy on November 30, 2011 - 2:30pm

Cloud Gate, A.K.A “The Bean”, is Anish Kapoor’s first public artwork inside of the United States. This highly-polished, 3-story tall, stainless steel bean-like sculpture has quickly become an icon of Chicago, and is one most photographed landmarks in city. 

The elliptical sculpture is made of 168 stainless steel tiles that had to be painstakingly buffed and polished to remove all traces of the welded seams.  The "top" reflects the cities skyline and clouds above, while the 12 foot high "gate" allows visitors to pass underneath and into a concave chamber known for its interesting reflections.  Kapoor’s design is likened to liquid Mercury; not only in it’s color and bulbous shape, but also in the way the sculpture distorts reflections.  

Much like the rest of Millennium Park, Cloud Gate is not without controversy. Originally estimated to cost a "mere" $6 million, the final bill came in at over $23 million. The good news is that Kapoor's contract states that the structure should survive for 1000 years, so the city should get its money's worth...  

Cloud Gate was first revealed to the public during the original opening of Millennium Park in 2004, but at that time the welded seams were still visible.  It wasn’t until early 2005 that it was covered and work commenced on polishing out the seams and giving Cloud Gate its mirror like finish. Finally, in May of 2006, Cloud Gate was re-revealed in its final form.

To really appreciate Cloud Gate, I suggest an early morning visit - even better if it's a weekday.  You get some really stunning reflections of the Michigan Avenue street-wall, and more importantly, Millennium Park is virtually empty so you can enjoy Cloud Gate on your terms. 

Have a request or idea for a #ChicagoLandmark photo-op or blog post?  Tweet the building/structure/location to me @ChiPhotoGuy and please include #ChicagoLandmarks.  If I don’t have the photos already, it means I need to go out and get them!

Check out my intro post for more information on the #ChicagoLandmarks project

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