Description

The anchor for the AT&T Plaza in Millennium Park is an enchanting piece of public sculpture by Anish Kapoor. Installed in 2006 and affectionately dubbed “The Bean”, Cloud Gate is a rounded arch, clad with 168 highly reflective stainless steel plates. After a few teething problems due to its complicated design, Cloud Gate has quickly become an emblem for 21st-century Chicago. The monument was designed to bring to mind a blob of liquid mercury, and its value lies in how interactive it is. You can take photos of your own reflection against the distorted Chicago skyline, and while passing under the 3.7-metre, look up into the “omphalos”, a concave chamber that twists and multiplies reflections.