93-621: Grainger Plaza (formerly AT&T Plaza , Ameritech Plaza and SBC Plaza ) is a public space that hosts the Cloud Gate sculpture. It is located in Millennium Park , which is a park built to celebrate the third millennium and which is located within the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The sculpture and the plaza are sometimes jointly referred to as Cloud Gate on
186-466: A transubstantiation of material, reminiscent of that which the artist experienced during a 1979 trip to India. Kapoor's 1000 Names evolved immediately after this trip; twenty-five years later he created Cloud Gate , an object that emerged from material forms to become immaterial. Kapoor often relies on tenets of Hinduism in his art and says that "The experience of opposites allows for the expression of wholeness." Primal dualities that are one, such as
279-629: A Chicago tourist attraction. The plaza is located above Park Grill , above and behind the McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink, adjacent to the Chase Promenade , and between the North and South Boeing Galleries . The plaza and the Cloud Gate sculpture sit atop the 300-seat $ 6 million Park Grill , which opened in November 2003 behind the McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink. The surface of
372-467: A feasible method was found, but the sculpture's construction fell behind schedule. It was unveiled in an incomplete form during the Millennium Park grand opening celebration in 2004, before being concealed again while it was completed. Cloud Gate was formally dedicated on May 15, 2006, and has since gained considerable popularity, both domestically and internationally. Lying between Lake Michigan to
465-421: A half-block to the east back into alignment with the run north of 63rd Street. It then continues south to 89th Street where it dead ends once again for a housing subdivision and a railroad line. It resumes at 91st Street heading south through the working class Roseland community, featuring a large commercial strip along Michigan between 111th and 115th streets. The street dead ends again at 127th Street just before
558-553: A kiss under it. It also appears in the video to " Homecoming ", a song by Chicago native Kanye West , featuring Chris Martin of the band Coldplay . The sculpture is also featured in the 2008 mumblecore film Nights and Weekends . It was also featured in the Bollywood film Dhoom 3 and the 2014 movie Transformers: Age of Extinction , the fourth installment in the Transformers series . A modified reproduction of Cloud Gate
651-399: A name that Kapoor described as "completely stupid". Months later, Kapoor officially named the piece Cloud Gate . (Kapoor eventually accepted the nickname of "The Bean". ) Critical reviews describe the sculpture as a passage between realms. Three-quarters of the sculpture's external surface reflects the sky and the name refers to it acting as a type of gate that helps bridge the space between
744-538: A new Bascule bridge across the river at Michigan Avenue. This plan was further elaborated upon in Daniel Burnham 's 1909 Plan of Chicago , and in 1911 a plan was selected that included the widening of Michigan Avenue from Randolph Street to the river, replacing the Rush Street bridge with a new bridge at Michigan Avenue and the construction of a double-decked boulevard along Pine Street as far as Ohio Street. When
837-403: A prime viewing location for jazz concerts held during the summer at the McCormick Tribune Plaza. McCormick Tribune Plaza is located below and to the west of AT&T Plaza as well as adjacent to Michigan Avenue 's Historic Michigan Boulevard District , which are slightly further west. Cloud Gate Cloud Gate is a public sculpture by Indian -born British artist Anish Kapoor , that
930-454: A professional photographer without a paid permit was denied access to the piece. As is the case for all works of art currently covered by United States copyright law, the artist holds the copyright for the sculpture. This allows the public to freely photograph Cloud Gate , but permission from Kapoor or the City of Chicago (which has licensed the art) is required for any commercial reproductions of
1023-495: A public park for a private event has also been controversial. In 2005 and 2006, almost all of Millennium Park was closed for a day for corporate events. On both occasions, as one of the park's primary attractions, Cloud Gate was the focus of controversy. On September 8, 2005, Toyota Motor Sales USA paid $ 800,000 to rent most venues in the park including Cloud Gate and the surrounding AT&T Plaza from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. On August 7, 2006, Allstate paid $ 700,000 to rent
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#17328514519281116-562: A result of the video, compensate him for statutory damages equivalent to $ 150,000 per infringement, and attorney fees. The suit was settled in December 2018 with the removal of the image from the NRA video. Michigan Avenue (Chicago) Michigan Avenue is a north-south street in Chicago that runs at 100 east on the Chicago grid . The northern end of the street is at DuSable Lake Shore Drive on
1209-517: A result, the two large rings supporting the sculpture move independently of each other, allowing the shell to move independently of the rings. When Cloud Gate' s interior components were completed, construction crews prepared to work on the outer shell; this comprises 168 stainless steel panels, each 3 ⁄ 8 inch (10 mm) thick and weighing 1,000 to 2,000 pounds (450 to 910 kg ). They were fabricated using three-dimensional modeling software. Computers and robots were essential in
1302-523: A sculpture similar to Cloud Gate was reported in Karamay , China at the site of an oil discovery, which according to Eduardo Peñalver, the Dean of Cornell Law School, "very probably" is a copyright infringement against Cloud Gate . Though designed to resemble an oil bubble, Kapoor hoped that legal action would be taken against what he termed a Chinese knockoff. Mayor Rahm Emanuel was less concerned and said that it
1395-419: A way, the same thing to one's reflection as the exterior of the piece is doing to the reflection of the city around. — Anish Kapoor When the park first opened in 2004, Metra police stopped a Columbia College Chicago journalism student who was working on a photography project in Millennium Park and confiscated his film because of fears of terrorism. In 2005, the sculpture attracted some controversy when
1488-808: Is across the boulevard, in Grant Park along the Avenue. Several large historic hotels are located just south of Ida B. Wells Drive , including the Hilton Towers Chicago (formerly, the Stevens Hotel), the Congress Plaza Hotel and the Blackstone Hotel . Between them is the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. The Avenue extends south into Near South Side, Chicago and beyond – past what was once
1581-611: Is also included in Watch Dogs , a video game released in 2014 that takes place in Chicago . Unlike the real sculpture, the in-game replica is a curved, white torus . Cloud Gate plays a prominent role in Battle Ground , the 17th title in the Dresden Files urban fantasy novel series by Jim Butcher . In the Chicago of the novels, the sculpture was commissioned by Queen Mab, ruler of
1674-422: Is both a "tourist magnet" and an "extraordinary art object", while USA Today refers to the sculpture as a monumental abstract work. Chicago art critic Edward Lifson considers Cloud Gate to be among the greatest pieces of public art in the world. The American Welding Society recognized Cloud Gate , MTH Industries and PSI with the group's Extraordinary Welding Award. Time named Millennium Park one of
1767-432: Is cleaned twice a year with 40 U.S. gallons (33 imp gal; 150 L) of liquid detergent. The daily cleanings use a Windex -like solution, while the semi-annual cleanings use Tide . A notable February 2009 incident saw two names etched in letters about 1 inch (25 mm) tall on the northeast side of the curved sculpture. The graffiti was removed by the same firm that did the original polishing. In August 2023,
1860-599: Is composed of multiplied surfaces. According to project manager Lou Cerny of MTH Industries, "When the light is right, you can't see where the sculpture ends and the sky begins." The sculpture challenges perception by distorting and deforming the surrounding architecture. The skyscrapers along East Randolph Street to the northeast (Two Prudential Plaza, and Aon Center), north (One Prudential Plaza) and northwest (The Heritage, Crain Communications Building ) are reflected on Cloud Gate' s surface when viewed from either
1953-645: Is home to two important local institutions. On the northwest corner is De La Salle Institute , a Catholic high school which was attended by future Chicago mayors Richard J. Daley , Richard M. Daley , and Michael Bilandic . On the southwest corner is the Chicago Police Department Headquarters. Michigan Avenue continues through the South Side and dead ends at 63rd Street, just north of a rail yard and parking lots. The Avenue continues heading south at 66th Street to Marquette Road, where it moves
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#17328514519282046-428: Is now a fixture on many souvenirs such as postcards, sweatshirts, and posters. The sculpture has attracted a large number of locals, tourists, and art aficionados from around the world. The sculpture is now the piece by which Kapoor is most identified in the United States. Time describes the piece as an essential photo opportunity, and more of a destination than a work of art. The New York Times writes that it
2139-447: Is popular with tourists as a photo-taking opportunity for its unique reflective properties. The sculpture was the result of a design competition. After Kapoor's design was chosen, numerous technological concerns regarding the design's construction and assembly arose, in addition to concerns regarding the sculpture's upkeep and maintenance. Various experts were consulted, some of whom believed the design could not be implemented. Eventually,
2232-770: Is the Chicago Landmark Historic Michigan Boulevard District . Major cultural institutions, such as the Chicago Cultural Center , Symphony Center , and the Auditorium Theater are located here, as are many late 19th and early 20th century skyscrapers. In 2009, the Chicago Cultural Mile Association was created to bring "awareness of the unique strengths and diverse offerings available to visitors" in this portion of Michigan Avenue. The Art Institute of Chicago
2325-536: Is the centerpiece of Grainger Plaza at Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago . Constructed between 2004 and 2006, the sculpture is nicknamed " The Bean " because of its shape, a name Kapoor later grew fond of. Made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its reflective and highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It measures 33 by 66 by 42 feet (10 by 20 by 13 m), and weighs 110 short tons (100 t; 98 long tons). The sculpture and its plaza are located above Park Grill , between
2418-653: Is the former Illinois Automobile Club, which later was used as the home of the Chicago Defender , a prominent African-American Chicago newspaper at 2400 South Michigan. A little bit further south is Bronzeville , a historic black community in Chicago. Points of interest include the historic Mercy Hospital and Medical Center , the Illinois College of Optometry and the South Side Community Art Center . The intersection of Michigan Avenue and 35th Street
2511-693: The Cal-Sag Channel . It begins again in the south suburb of Riverdale before finally terminating at Sibley Boulevard or IL RT-83. The Chicago "L" Red Line 's Chicago and Grand stations are useful for reaching the Magnificent Mile. Both the Monroe and Jackson stations are close to the Art Institute. Stations on the east side of the Loop ( Adams/Wabash and Washington/Wabash stations) are also close to
2604-493: The Chase Promenade and McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink . Kapoor's design was inspired by liquid mercury and the sculpture's surface reflects and distorts the city's skyline and clouds moving overhead. Visitors are able to walk around and under Cloud Gate ' s 12-foot (3.7 m) high arch. On the underside is the "omphalos" (Greek for "navel"), a concave chamber that warps and multiplies reflections. The sculpture builds upon many of Kapoor's artistic themes , and it
2697-585: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the street was officially known as Michigan Boulevard and often referred to as " Boul Mich ". But in the 1900-1907 Ads for the Chicago Musical College, the address was referred to as "202 Michigan Boul." As recently as the 1920s, North Michigan Avenue (especially the Magnificent Mile ) was referred to as "Upper Boul Mich". Paris 's Boulevard Saint-Michel is
2790-499: The Great Fire of 1871 , all buildings on Michigan Avenue from Congress Street north to the river were destroyed. Immediately after the fire, the character of Michigan remained residential, but the street no longer was directly on the lake shore, as after the Fire, wreckage from the burnt district was used to fill in the inner harbor of Chicago, beginning the landfills that by the 1920s had moved
2883-665: The Michigan Avenue Bridge was completed, Pine Street was renamed Michigan Avenue. At its north end it merges into Lake Shore Drive near the Drake Hotel . Today, the area north of the Chicago River is referred to as the " Magnificent Mile ", or sometimes simply the Mag Mile. It contains a mixture of upscale department stores , restaurants, high-end retailers, office buildings and hotels , and caters primarily to tourists and
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2976-473: The Panama Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway . However, this plan was discarded after park officials deemed it too risky, so the decision was made to transport the individual panels by truck and to assemble the structure on-site, a task undertaken by MTH Industries. The sculpture's weight raised concerns. Estimating the thickness of the steel needed to create the sculpture's desired aesthetics before fabrication
3069-546: The Park Grill , upon which Cloud Gate sits, had to be strong enough to bear the weight. A large retaining wall separating Chicago's Metra train tracks from the North Grant Park garage travels along the back side of the restaurant and supports much of the sculpture's weight. This wall, along with the rest of the garage's foundation, required additional bracing before the piece was erected. In June 2004, when construction of
3162-409: The lingam and yoni , are important to Indian culture, and Cloud Gate represents both the male and female in one entity by symbolizing both the vagina and testicles . Thus, it represents the tension between the masculine and the feminine. The sculpture has been used as a backdrop in commercial films, notably in the 2006 Hollywood film The Break-Up , which had to reshoot several scenes because
3255-671: The AT&;T Plaza . It was opened in the summer of 2004 with the initial unveiling of the sculpture during the grand opening weekend of the park. Ameritech Corporation / SBC Communications Inc. donated US$ 3 million for the naming right to the space. The plaza has become a place to view the McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink and during the Christmas holiday season, the Plaza hosts Christmas caroling . Lying between Lake Michigan to
3348-565: The Art Institute, the east side of Michigan at Adams, in 1874. By the 1890s, an imposing wall of buildings was constructed on the west side of Michigan Avenue downtown, including the Auditorium Building and the main branch of the Chicago Public Library (now the Chicago Cultural Center ). As the east side of Michigan Avenue downtown was developed as a park, the wall of buildings lining the west side of Michigan Avenue across from
3441-518: The Art Institute. Millennium and Van Buren Street stations are located east of Michigan Avenue serving the Metra Electric and South Shore Lines. The avenue is also traversed by a multitude of bus routes and taxi cabs primarily in the Downtown and Magnificent Mile areas. South of downtown, plenty of bus routes (e.g. bus routes 1 and 4) continue to run south along Michigan Avenue before reaching
3534-447: The Board of Public Works began paving Pine Street from Chicago Avenue to Whitney street (today, Walton street) the northern terminus, with Belgian wood blocks also known as Nicolson pavement. Pine Street was renamed to Lincoln Park Boulevard as far south as Ohio Street when the street connected with Lake Shore Drive in the early 1890s, and then became part of Michigan Avenue, which already had
3627-533: The Chicago River, and what is now Michigan Avenue north of the river was originally named Pine Street, after scattered pine trees originally found in its vicinity. As early as 1891 plans were proposed to extend Michigan Avenue north across the river. An early plan called for a tunnel to link Michigan Avenue south of the river with Pine Street, and in 1903 an editorial in the Chicago Tribune newspaper proposed
3720-407: The City of Chicago began renovation and construction work on Grainger Plaza, which also closed public access to Cloud Gate . The work involved accessibility improvements, including ramps and new steps, replacing pavers , and waterproofing. After being behind fencing for most of a year, the sculpture was reopened to the public on June 23, 2024. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley declared the day of
3813-530: The Winter Court of Faerie, and proves to be hiding a large stockpile of armaments. Its placement by the Winter Court was in anticipation of a massive supernatural attack on the city of Chicago. A June 2017 video by the National Rifle Association (NRA) entitled The Clenched Fist of Truth used an image of Cloud Gate . Anish Kapoor sued the NRA to stop running the video, pay any profits gained as
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3906-462: The affluent. The area also has a high concentration of the city's advertising agencies . It is the home of Chicago's famous Water Tower landmark, Jane Byrne Park around the Water Tower with its historic clock, as well as the eight-level Water Tower Place shopping center which grew up next door to, and overshadowed, the comparatively diminutive landmark. North of the shopping center can be found
3999-424: The art when he walks underneath it into its "navel". The omphalos is a "warped dimension of fluid space". In this dimension, solid is transformed into fluid in a disorienting multiplicative manner that intensifies the experience. It is emblematic of Kapoor's work to deconstruct empirical space and venture into manifold possibilities of abstract space . The experience is described as a displaced or virtual depth that
4092-521: The bending and shaping of the plates, which was performed by English wheel and a robotic scanning device. Metal stiffeners were welded to each panel's interior face to provide a small degree of rigidity. About a third of the plates, along with the entire interior structure, were fabricated in Oakland. The plates were polished to 98 percent of their final state and covered with protective white film before being sent to Chicago via trucks. Once in Chicago,
4185-483: The boundary between the limit and the limitless. Kapoor drew on past experience to design Cloud Gate , in particular the designing of Sky Mirror (2001), a 20-foot (6.1 m) 10-short-ton (9 t; 9-long-ton) concave stainless steel mirror that also used a theme of distorted perception on a grand scale. Kapoor's objects often aim to evoke immateriality and the spiritual, an outcome he achieves either by carving dark voids into stone pieces, or more recently, through
4278-661: The city. Michigan Avenue also is the main commercial street of Streeterville . It includes all of the Historic Michigan Boulevard District and most of the Michigan–Wacker Historic District , including the scenic urban space anchored by the DuSable (Michigan Avenue) Bridge . The oldest section of Michigan Avenue is the portion that currently borders Grant Park in the Chicago Loop section of
4371-413: The city. The name came from Lake Michigan , which until 1871 was immediately east of Michigan Avenue. The street at that time ran north to the Chicago River and south to the city limits. Michigan Avenue initially was primarily residential. By the 1860s, however, large homes and expensive row houses dominated Michigan Avenue. At no point is Michigan Avenue currently called Michigan Boulevard, but prior to
4464-507: The east and the Loop to the west, Grant Park has been Chicago's front yard since the mid-19th century. Its northwest corner, north of Monroe Street and the Art Institute , east of Michigan Avenue , south of Randolph Street, and west of Columbus Drive, had been Illinois Central rail yards and parking lots until 1997, when it was made available for development by the city as Millennium Park . Today, Millennium Park trails only Navy Pier as
4557-423: The east and the Loop to the west, Grant Park has served as Chicago's “front yard” since the mid-19th century. Its northwest corner, north of Monroe Street and the Art Institute , east of Michigan Avenue , south of Randolph Street , and west of Columbus Drive , had been Illinois Central rail yards and parking lots until 1997, when it was made available for development by the city as Millennium Park . For 2007,
4650-428: The east or the west. The sculpture also warps viewers' perception of time by changing the speed of movements such as the passing of clouds. Although in the conventional sense Cloud Gate is not an opening that leads anywhere in the same way that monumental gates do, it frames a view and is celebratory in the way it creates a ceremonial place. The work is credited with achieving a new level or understanding described as
4743-622: The famous John Hancock Center , the art deco Palmolive Building (also known as the Playboy Building) and the lavish Drake Hotel . The entire mile is noted for its spectacular Christmas displays. At the northern edge of this district can be found the One Magnificent Mile building; Chicago Landmark East Lake Shore Drive District , an extremely expensive and exclusive one-block area of real estate running east from North Michigan Avenue and facing directly onto Lake Michigan ; and
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#17328514519284836-589: The grand opening week in July 2004, press reports described the omphalos as the "spoon-like underbelly". The stainless steel sculpture was originally envisioned as the centerpiece of the Lurie Garden at the southeast corner of the park. However, Park officials believed the piece was too large for the Lurie Garden and decided to locate it at what is now known as Grainger Plaza , despite Kapoor's objections. Skyscrapers to
4929-448: The ground that was accessible via an elevator. The committee chose the second design by internationally acclaimed artist Anish Kapoor . Measuring 33 by 66 by 42 feet (10 by 20 by 13 m) and weighing 110 short tons (100 t; 98 long tons), the proposal featured a seamless, stainless steel surface inspired by liquid mercury . This mirror-like surface would reflect the Chicago skyline, but its elliptical shape would distort and twist
5022-432: The here–the beyond, east–west, sky–earth, etc. that create the conflict between internal and external, superficial and subterranean, and conscious and unconscious. Kapoor also creates a tension between masculine and feminine within his art by having concave points of focus that invite the entry of visitors and multiplies their images when they are positioned correctly. Kapoor often speaks of removing both
5115-477: The lake shore more than a quarter-mile east of its original shoreline, creating space for an expanded Grant Park. Beginning in the 1880s, the expansion of the central business district replaced houses on Michigan Avenue so that today, Michigan's character is primarily commercial north of 35th Street. The first city showcase on Michigan Avenue was the Exposition Building, which was built on the current site of
5208-524: The name Michigan Avenue and was called Michigan Boulevard before the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, south of the Chicago River. Both the North and South Michigan Avenues were joined physically with the opening of the Michigan Avenue bridge in 1920. In 1926, after years of clogged automobile traffic, the water tower and pumping station were separated by realigning Michigan Avenue to run between them. In
5301-463: The north along East Randolph Street , including The Heritage , the Smurfit-Stone Building , Two Prudential Plaza , One Prudential Plaza , and Aon Center are visible, reflected on both the east and west sides of the sculpture. Around the structure, its surface acts like a fun-house mirror as it distorts their reflections. Although Kapoor does not draw with computers, computer modeling
5394-650: The notorious Levee District , the graceful homes of the Prairie Avenue District , the historic Second Presbyterian Church , the former home of the legendary Chess Records at 2120 South Michigan and the site where the Lexington Hotel , a hideout of Al Capone , once stood. South of Cermak Road is the Motor Row District , a historic strip along Michigan Avenue that was home to many early 20th century automobile "palaces." A point of interest in this area
5487-455: The omphalos was closed off as workers polished the final section. Every weld on the Cloud Gate underwent a five-stage process, required to produce the sculpture's mirror-like finish. Cloud Gate was finally completed on August 28, 2005, and officially unveiled on May 15, 2006. The cost for the piece was first estimated at $ 6 million; this had escalated to $ 11.5 million by the time
5580-479: The on-ramp to northbound Lake Shore Drive . For a few blocks on both sides of the Chicago River , the road is double-decked, including the bridge over the river. The lower level north of the river is where the famous Billy Goat Tavern is located, and south of the river it intersects with Lower Wacker Drive. On the upper lever, tall office buildings and hotels line both sides of the Avenue, until Millennium Park . The portion of Michigan Avenue opposite Grant Park
5673-496: The original Boul Mich. North of the Chicago River today's Michigan Avenue was known as Pine Street. In 1866, a small portion of Pine Street was "vacated" and moved 80 feet (24 m) further west of the original Pine street location to accommodate the installation of the new pumping station's standpipe. This standpipe, engineered to regulate water pressure, would be housed within architect William W. Boyington's castle structure (Water Tower) that still stands on that site today. In 1869
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#17328514519285766-468: The park became the nucleus of the city's skyline. In 1924, the first traffic lights in Chicago were installed on Michigan Avenue after John D. Hertz fronted the city $ 34,000 for the purchase, installation, and maintenance. Historically, Illinois Route 1 and U.S. Route 41 were routed on Michigan Avenue. Illinois Route 1 has been truncated to Chicago's south side and U.S. Route 41 is now routed on Lake Shore Drive. Michigan Avenue originally ended at
5859-400: The park opened in 2004, with the final figure standing at $ 23 million in 2006. No public funds were involved; all funding came from donations from individuals and corporations. Kapoor's contract states that the constructed piece should be expected to survive for 1,000 years. The lower 6 feet (1.8 m) of Cloud Gate is wiped down twice a day by hand, while the entire sculpture
5952-482: The park was Chicago's second largest tourist attraction, trailing only Navy Pier . In 1999, Millennium Park officials and a group of art collectors , curators and architects reviewed the artistic works of 30 different artists and asked two for proposals. American artist Jeff Koons submitted a proposal to erect a permanent 150-foot (46 m) sculpture of a playground slide ; his glass and steel design featured an observation deck 90 feet (27 m) above
6045-428: The park. For this price, Allstate acquired the visitation rights to a different set of features and only had exclusive access to Cloud Gate after 4 p.m. These corporate closures denied tourists access to Kapoor's public sculpture, and commuters who walk through the park were forced to take alternative routes. City officials stated that the money would help finance free public programs in Millennium Park. In 2015,
6138-474: The photographs. The city first set a policy of collecting permit fees for photographs. These permits were initially set at $ 350 per day for professional still photographers, $ 1,200 per day for professional videographers and $ 50 per hour for wedding photographers. The policy has been changed so permits are only required for large-scale film, video and photography requiring ten-person crews and equipment. In addition to restricting photography of public art, closing
6231-446: The piece to shield it from public view. Construction began with the omphalos, where plates were attached to the supporting internal steel structure, from the inside (underside) of the sculpture downward to the outermost surfaces. This sequence caused the structure to resemble a large sombrero when the bottom was complete. The shell of Cloud Gate was fully erected for the grand opening of Millennium Park on July 15, 2004, although it
6324-448: The plates were welded together on-site, creating 2,442 linear feet (744 m) of welded seams. Welders used keyhole welding machines rather than traditional welding guns. The plates were fabricated so precisely that no on-site cutting or filing was necessary when lifting and fitting them into position. When construction of the shell began in June 2004, a large tent was erected around
6417-477: The plaza is concrete . The plaza is composed of 25,200 square feet (2,340 m) of concrete pavers . Each paver is 30 by 30 inches (76 by 76 cm ), and each is 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) thick. The plaza was originally named Ameritech Plaza for Ameritech Corporation, the corporate sponsor, who donated $ 3 million for the sculpture-hosting plaza's naming rights. By the time the park officially opened in 2004, Ameritech had merged with SBC Communications and
6510-498: The plaza was called SBC Plaza. When SBC acquired AT&T and subsequently changed the name from SBC to AT&T in 2005, the name of the plaza changed again. Cloud Gate was originally estimated to weigh 60 short tons (54.4 t ; 53.6 long tons ) because it was impossible to estimate the thickness of the steel compatible with the desired aesthetics. The final piece, however, weighs 110 short tons (99.8 t; 98.2 long tons) and care had to be taken in supporting it. The roof of
6603-490: The popular imagination and hold other points of interest, but that is not what I set out to do, although there is inevitably a certain spectacular in an object like this. — Anish Kapoor Anish Kapoor has a reputation for creating spectacles in urban settings by producing works of extreme size and scale. Before creating Cloud Gate , Kapoor had created art that distorted images of the viewer instead of portraying images of its own. In doing so, he acquired experience blurring
6696-413: The reflected image. In the underside of the sculpture is the omphalos , an indentation whose mirrored surface provides multiple reflections of any subject situated beneath it. The apex of the omphalos is 27 feet (8.2 m) above the ground. The concave underside allows visitors to walk underneath to see the omphalos, and through its arch to the other side so that they view the entire structure. During
6789-404: The sculpture was under cover for the initial filming. It is also prominently featured in the ending scene of Source Code . Director Duncan Jones felt the structure was a metaphor for the movie's subject matter and aimed for it to be shown at the beginning and end of the movie. The sculpture served as an aesthetic and symbolic setting for the 2012 film The Vow when the lead characters share
6882-474: The sculpture's dedication, May 15, 2006, to be "Cloud Gate Day". Kapoor attended the celebration, while local jazz trumpeter and bandleader Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic played "Fanfare for Cloud Gate", which Davis composed. The public took an instant liking to the sculpture, affectionately referring to it as "The Bean". Cloud Gate has become a popular piece of public art and
6975-491: The sculpture's interior structure by tie rods . Inside Cloud Gate 's polished exterior shell are several steel structures that keep the sculpture standing. PSI contracted Advanced Building and Metal Fabrication of Chico, California to build them. The first structural pieces, two type 304 stainless steel rings, were put into place in February 2004. As construction continued, crisscrossing pipe trusses were assembled between
7068-576: The sheer shine and reflectivity of his objects. His works have no fixed identity, but rather occupy an illusionary space that is consistent with eastern theologies shared by Buddhism , Hinduism and Taoism , as well as Albert Einstein 's views of a non-three-dimensional world. Kapoor explores the theme of ambiguity with his works that place the viewer in a state of "in-betweenness". The artist often questions and plays with such dualities as solidity–emptiness or reality–reflection, which in turn allude to such paired opposites as flesh–spirit,
7161-418: The shell began, a large tent (pictured left) was erected around the piece in order to shield it from public view. In 2006, annual Christmas caroling began at the plaza. Following Thanksgiving, weekly sing-alongs are led by choral groups including Bella Voce , Chicago Mass Choir , and Chicago Children's Choir . Because of its elevation above the McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink, the plaza has become
7254-580: The shore of Lake Michigan in the Gold Coast Historic District . The street's southern terminus is at Sibley Boulevard in the southern suburb of Dolton , but like many other Chicago streets, it exists in several disjointed segments. As the home of the Chicago Water Tower , the Art Institute of Chicago , Millennium Park , and the shopping on the Magnificent Mile , it is a street well-known to Chicago natives as well as tourists to
7347-409: The signature of the artist from his works as well as any traces of their fabrication, or what he refers to as "traces of the hand". He aspires to make his works look like they have independent realities that he reveals rather than creates. For him, removing all the seams from Cloud Gate was necessary in order to make the sculpture seem as though it was "perfect" and ready-made. These effects increase
7440-516: The sky and the viewer. In 2008, the sculpture and plaza were sometimes referred to jointly as " Cloud Gate on the AT&T Plaza" (as Grainger Plaza was then called). It is Kapoor's first public outdoor work in the United States, and is the work by which he is best known in the country according to the Financial Times . The British engineering firm Atelier One provided the sculpture's structural design, and Performance Structures, Inc. (PSI)
7533-461: The sky, visiting and non-visiting pedestrians and surrounding architecture, Cloud Gate limits its viewers to partial comprehension at any time. The interaction with the viewer who moves to create his own vision gives it a spiritual dimension. The sculpture is described as a disembodied, luminous form, which is also how his earlier 1000 Names (1979–80) was described when it addressed the metaphysical and mystical. The viewer physically enters
7626-433: The structure. Graffiti , bird droppings and fingerprints were also potential problems, as they would affect the aesthetics of the surface. The most pressing issue was the need to create a single seamless exterior for the external shell, a feat architect Norman Foster once believed to be nearly impossible. While the sculpture was being constructed, public and media outlets nicknamed it "The Bean" because of its shape,
7719-460: The ten best architectural achievements of 2004, citing Cloud Gate as one of the park's major attractions. What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline ... so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in
7812-459: The themes and issues it addresses. While the sculpture's mirror effects are reminiscent of fun-house fairground mirrors, they also have a more serious intent; they help dematerialize this very large object, making it seem light and almost weightless. Cloud Gate is considered Kapoor's most ambitious use of complex mirrored form dynamics. Kapoor challenges his viewers to internalize his work through intellectual and theoretical exercise. By reflecting
7905-430: The two rings. The trusses and supporting structures were only present for the construction phases. The finished sculpture has no inner bracing. The supporting structural components were designed and constructed to ensure that no specific point was overloaded, and to avoid producing unwanted indentations on the exterior shell. The frame was also designed to expand and contract with the sculpture as temperatures fluctuate. As
7998-420: The viewer's fascination with it and makes them wonder what it is and where it came from. His attempts to hide his works' seams as an artist stand in contrast to Frank Gehry 's architectural designs in the park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion and BP Pedestrian Bridge , which display their seams prominently. Cloud Gate is described as a transformative, iconic work. It is similar to many of Kapoor's previous works in
8091-474: The weight. The large retaining wall separating Chicago's Metra train tracks from the North Grant Park garage supports much of the weight of the sculpture and forms the back side of the restaurant. This wall, along with the rest of the garage's foundation, required additional bracing before the piece was erected. Cloud Gate is further buttressed by lateral members underneath the plaza that are anchored to
8184-492: Was a flattering imitation. A movement to " Windex the Bean" was started in 2017, with the premise that the sculpture is dirty and needs to be cleaned. Posted as an event on Facebook, over 2000 people marked themselves as "going". The post also spawned a variety of similar joke movements. I hope what I have done is make a serious work, which deals with serious questions about form, public space and an object in space. You can capture
8277-550: Was again erected in January 2005 as a 24-person crew from Ironworkers Local 63 polished the seams between each plate. In order to grind, sand and polish the seams, six levels of scaffolding were erected around the sides of the sculpture, while climbing ropes and harnesses were used to polish harder-to-reach areas. When the upper and side portions of the shell were completed, the tent was once again removed in August 2005. On October 3,
8370-494: Was chosen to fabricate it because of their ability to produce nearly invisible welds . The project began with PSI attempting to recreate the design in miniature. A high-density polyurethane foam model was selected by Kapoor, which was then used to design the final structure, including the interior structural components. Initially, PSI planned to build and assemble the sculpture in Oakland, California , and ship it to Chicago through
8463-405: Was difficult. Cloud Gate was originally estimated to weigh 60 short tons (54 t; 54 long tons) when completed. However, the final figure was almost twice as heavy at 110 short tons (100 t; 98 long tons). This extra weight required engineers to reconsider the sculpture's supporting structures. The roof of the Park Grill , upon which Cloud Gate sits, had to be built strong enough to bear
8556-399: Was essential to the process of analyzing the complex form, which created numerous issues. Since the sculpture was expected to be outdoors, concerns arose that it might retain and conduct heat in a way that would make it too hot to touch during the summer and so cold that one's tongue might stick to it during the winter. The extreme temperature variation between seasons was also feared to weaken
8649-460: Was unpolished and thus unfinished, because its assembly had fallen behind schedule. The piece was temporarily uncovered on July 8 for the opening, although Kapoor was unhappy with this as it allowed the public to see the sculpture in an unfinished state. The original plan was to re-erect the tent around the sculpture for polishing on July 24, but public appreciation for the piece convinced park officials to leave it uncovered for several months. The tent
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