
A unique and thoughtful design, its 12 feet (3.7 meters) high arch allows the visitors to walk underneath it, giving them a memorable experience that they will cherish for life. It undoubtedly is a gigantic piece of art. It is huge! This massive structure located at the prominent location of Chicago is 66 feet in length, 42 feet wide, and touches a total height of 33 feet, making this edifice the best of its kind. This thoughtful design allows the sculpture’s enormous weight to be borne by its two base points, giving it the iconic “Bean” shape and creating a sizeable concave area beneath the structure allowing the visitors to walk beneath it. Its steel exterior is attached to a frame situated inside with flexible connectors that allows it to expand and contract with the weather changes. From inside, it is a grid of two large metal rings connected through a truss framework, like what you might see on a bridge. The steel plates are fitted and welded together for a seamless finish. The massive structure is designed using computer technology to achieve the perfection of cutting and assembling 168 steel plates. The exterior of The Bean is made up of stainless steel giving it the sharp and shiny look. You will admire the beauty of his design at the bottom of the sculpture, which is inspired by the Omphalos and is an indentation where the mirrored surface gives multiple reflections of any object situated under it. Though the structure was under construction during the inauguration of the park in 2004, this magical visual of a structure was finally completed in May 2006. Chicago’s Cloud Gate is Anish Kapoor’s first public outdoor sculpture in the United States. The Bean was conceptualized and designed by Anish Kapoor, an internationally acclaimed Indian-born British sculptor who is renowned for his large-scale abstract projects with geometric shapes and reflective surfaces. The idea was a huge success as the sky above the park descended into the curved outer surface, while the underside of the structure created a grand entrance to the park, giving it the distinctive shape like that of a Bean. As the visitors walked into the gate, they experienced a blissful sense of walking into the clouds. The idea of creating this masterpiece was to make a grand entrance like structure at the Millennium Park that would imbibe the incredible skyline of Chicago, the open sky and the lake. The shiny surface gives a beautiful manifestation of the people strolling around the park, the surrounding skyline, the lights of Michigan Avenue, and peace offered by the green space making it an unforgettable Millennium Park experience. The Bean’s reflective surface looks like liquid mercury floating in the structure.


The Chicago Bean, 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60602, United States | Website What does The Bean mean? If you are planning to take a stroll in the Michigan Avenue between Randolph and Monroe, you can’t miss the spectacular sight. You will be able to identify The Bean at a prominent location at the Millennium Park, the lakefront park in the city of Chicago just above the McCormick Tribune Plaza, behind the Park Grill Restaurant.

This monumental work of public art is in the heart of Chicago, and soon after its unveiling, it was adored by all, earning the title of Chicago’s most iconic sights. Unveiled in 2004, it is one of the world’s largest permanent outdoor art fixtures in the United States. The sculpture that is officially titled as Cloud Gate gained popularity to become the famous Chicago Bean because of its unique shape, design, and the captivating image of the surroundings. 7 Why is it called The Bean? What is The Chicago Bean?
