The Bean (Cloud Gate)

Chicago, Illinois

Cloud Gate as "The Bean" is one of Chicago's most popular sight.  The monumental work of art anchors downtown Millennium Park, the lakefront park in Chicago's downtown Loop area. It sits above the McCormick Tribune Plaza in the AT&T Plaza and reflects the city's famous skyline. This area of downtown is where you'll find alfesco dining in summer and a free skating rink in winter.  If you are walking on Michigan Avenue between Randolph and Monroe, you really can't miss it. 

What is The Bean?

The Bean is a work of public art in the heart of Chicago's downtown.  The sculpture which is officially titled Cloud Gate, is one of the world's largest permanent outdoor art installations.  The monumental work was completed in 2006 and quickly became one of Chicago's most iconic sights.   The Bean's reflective surface was inspired by liquid mercury.  This shiny exterior reflects the people moving around the park, the lights of Michigan Avenue and the surrounding skyline and green space .. perfectly encapsulating the Millennium Park experience.  The reflection of the sky above the park, not to mention the curved underside of The Bean serves as an entrance that visitors can walk under to enter the park, inspired the sculpture's creator to name the piece Cloud Gate. 

It was designed by internationally acclaimed artist, Anish Kapoor.  The Indian-born British sculptor was already well-known for his large-scale outdoor works including several with highly reflective surfaces.  Cloud Gate was Kapoor's first permanent public outdoor work in the United States and is widely considered his most famous.

The exterior of The Bean is made entirely of stainless steel.  It was created using computer technology to precisely cut 168 massive steel plates which were then fitted together and welded shut for a completely seamless finish.  Inside, it's made of a network of two large metal rings.  The rings are connected via a truss framework similar to what you might see on a bridge.  This allows the sculpture's massive weight to be directed to its two base points creating the iconic "bean" shape and allowing for the large concave area beneath the structure.  The Bean's steel exterior is attached to the inside frame with flexible connectors that let it expand and contract as the weather changes. 

The Bean is 33 feet hight, 42 feet wide and 66 feet long.  It weighs about 110 tons which is approximately the same as 15 adult elephants.  The Bean features a 12-foot-high arch that visitors can walk through to see reflections from below. 

Why is it called The Bean?

While the piece's official name is Cloud Gate, the artist doesn't title his works until after they're completed.  When the structure was still under construction, renderings of the design were released to the public.  Once Chicagoans saw the curved, oblong shape they quickly began calling it "The Bean".

The nickname stuck!