Portal:Chicago/Selected article/70

Cloud Gate is a public sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor in Millennium Park within the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the centerpiece of the AT&T Plaza, and is located above the Park Grill and adjacent to the Chase Promenade. The sculpture was constructed from 2004-2006, with a temporary unveiling in the summer of 2004. Nicknamed "The Bean" because of its legume-like shape, Cloud Gate's exterior consists of 168 highly polished stainless steel plates. It is 33 by 66 by 42 feet (10 by 20 by 13 m), and weighs 110 short tons (99.8 t; 98.2 long tons). It was inspired by liquid mercury. The sculpture's highly polished exterior reflects and transforms the city's skyline. Visitors are invited to walk around and under Cloud Gate's 12-foot (3.7 m)-high arch, which contains a concave chamber called the "omphalos" that multiplies and warps image reflections.