Cloud Gate

In the heart of Millennium Park in Chicago stands Cloud Gate, an iconic sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor. Known by its nickname, The Bean, the artwork stands out for its bean-like shape and its seamlessly polished stainless steel surface. This mirrored skin reflects the surrounding city skyline in a distorted, flowing image reminiscent of liquid mercury. Visitors love to use the smooth surface to snap distorted selfies, and they can also walk underneath the sculpture's arched center.

Building the sculpture was a complex engineering project. The original plan was to ship a finished model through the Panama Canal, but because of the high risks, it was decided instead to bring the individual stainless steel plates to Chicago by truck and assemble them on site. The outer shell consists of 168 curved plates that were welded and polished so that no seams are visible. The final weight of nearly one hundred tons required major reinforcement of the foundation and the surrounding infrastructure, since the sculpture sits on a special roof that had to be additionally braced.

To compensate for the natural movement of the metal caused by temperature changes, the shell rests on a flexible support structure. This internal framework is hidden from view and can be seen in only a few places at ground level. Cloud Gate is not only an architectural masterpiece but also a central gathering place in the park, combining art and urban architecture in a unique way.