Cloud Gate

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This page is about the sculpture. For the modern dance group, see Cloud Gate Dance Theater.

Cloud Gate

Anish Kapoor, 2004-2006

Stainless steel Height: 33 feet (10 m) Length: 66 feet (20 m) Width: 42 feet (13 m)

Chicago, Illinois, Millennium Park

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 feet by 66 feet by 42 feet (10 m × 20 m × 13 m) tall, and weighs 110 short tons (99.8 MT/98.2 LT). 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.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Interior construction 1.2 Exterior maintenance 2 Praise and controversy 3 Notes 4 External links

[edit] History

In 1999 the Millennium Park officials chose internationally acclaimed British artist Anish Kapoor’s proposed sculpture over a proposal by artist Jeff Koons for a permanent exhibit at the park.^[1] The stainless steel piece, eventually named Cloud Gate, was inspired by liquid mercury and designed to reflect Chicago's skyline. It is Kapoor's first public outdoor work in the United States.^[2] Originally it was envisioned in the southeast corner of the Lurie Garden, but park officials eventually decided to locate it at the AT&T Plaza (formerly SBC Plaza), where it is currently. The sculpture was nicknamed "The Bean" and then subsequently officially named by Kapoor as "Cloud Gate".^[3] The sculpture has become one of the most popular public artworks in the country.^[4]

As the sculpture weighs 110 short tons (99.8 MT/98.2 LT), care had to be taken in supporting it. The roof of the Park Grill, upon which Cloud Gate sits, had to be strong enough to bear the weight. A large retaining wall separating the Metra train tracks from the North Grant Park garage travels along the back side of the restaurant and supports the sculpture. It is further buttressed by lateral members underneath the plaza anchored to the sculpture's interior structure by tie rods.^[5]

[edit] Interior construction

"What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline…so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in a way, the same thing to one's reflection as the exterior of the piece is doing to the reflection of the city around." —Anish Kapoor[2]

Performance Structures, Inc. (PSI) was chosen to produce the sculpture because of their ability to produce nearly invisible welds.^[1] The project began with PSI attempting to recreate Kapoor's design in miniature. These models were made of high-density polyurethane foam. Kapoor then chose between the various models. The chosen model was then used to design the final structure, including the interior structural components.^[5] Initially, it had been planned to build and assemble the sculpture completely in Oakland, California, then shipped to Chicago through the Panama Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway. However, this plan was scrapped after park officials deemed it too risky.^[1] Instead, the piece was assembled on-site by MTH Industries.

Inside Cloud Gate's polished exterior shell are several steel structures that keep the sculpture standing. The first structural pieces—two steel rings—were put into place in February 2004. As construction continued, criss-crossing pipe trusses were assembled between the two rings.^[6] The interior was specifically designed and constructed to make sure that no specific point was overloaded, which could produce unwanted indentations on the exterior of the piece. Additionally, the interior frame was designed to expand and contract with the sculpture as its temperature fluctuated. In order to achieve this, each part was designed to allow movement relative to all other parts without excessively constraining any one component. As a result, the two large rings supporting the sculpture move somewhat independently of one another and the shell is allowed some movement independent of the rings.^[5]

[edit] Exterior maintenance

When Cloud Gate's interior components were completed, construction crews began work on the structure's outer shell. In June 2004 when this work began, a large tent was erected around the entire piece in order to shield it from public view.^[7] The shell is comprised of 168 stainless steel plates, which were fabricated using three-dimensional modeling software, with metal stiffeners welded to their interior faces to provide a small degree of rigidity. About a third of plates, along with the entire interior structure, were fabricated in Oakland disassembled and then shipped to Chicago via trucks.^[5] The plates were then welded together on-site, creating 2,442 linear feet of welded seams.^[8]

The sculpture was fully erected but ultimately unpolished and unfinished for the grand opening of Millennium Park on July 15, 2004 because its assembly fell behind schedule. The piece was temporarily uncovered on July 8 for the opening, though Kapoor was unhappy with this decision since it allowed the public to see the sculpture in an unfinished state.^[9] Originally planned to be re-tented for polishing on July 24, public appreciation for the piece convinced park officials to leave it uncovered for several months. The tent was again erected in January 2005 while metalworkers polished the welds between each plate.^[10] When the upper and side portions of the shell were completed, the tent was once again removed in August 2005. On October 3rd, the "omphalos" was closed off as workers polished the final portion.^[11]

The sculpture was finally completed and dedicated on May 15, 2006. The cost for the piece was first estimated at $6 million, which ballooned to $11.5 million at the time of the park opening in 2004, with the final figure standing at $23 million. No public funds were involved; all funding came from individual and corporate private donations.

Cloud Gate is wiped down twice a day by hand and is completely cleaned twice a year with 40 gallons of liquid Tide.^[12]

[edit] Praise and controversy

Cloud Gate has become an icon of the city of Chicago. The public took an instant liking to it, affectionately referring to it as "the bean."^[13] It has had tremendous drawing power, attracting locals, tourists and art aficionados alike.^[14] It is one of the most photographed attractions in the city, and its images are reproduced on internet websites and in travel, art and architecture magazines. The American Welding Society recognized Cloud Gate, MTH Industries and PSI by awarding them with the group's Extraordinary Welding Award.^[15] It is well known for the funhouse mirror effect its reflections produce,^[16][17] and it contributed to Millennium Park being named among the 10 best architectural achievements of 2004 in Time.^[16]

The sculpture is tremendously popular.^[18] The sculpture has become so popular that Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley declared the day of the sculpture's dedication, May 15, 2006, to be "Cloud Gate Day". Anish Kapoor attended the celebration, while Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic played the Davis-composed "Fanfare for Cloud Gate".^[19] The sculpture has also been used as a backdrop in commercial films, notably in the recent Hollywood film The Break-Up.

In 2005, the sculpture attracted some controversy when a professional photographer was denied access to the piece without a paid permit.^[20][21] The artist holds the copyright for the sculpture: this means that, while the public can freely photograph it, permission of the artist is required for any commercial reproductions. This is the case for all works of art currently covered by United States copyright law, and is not specific to this work. Lack of knowledge of the laws around this issue, as well as lack of clarity about the original denial to photograph the work of art, led to an Internet protest in which people started uploading their own personal photos of the work of art wherever possible, and led most prominently to the popular photo-sharing website Flickr.^[22][23]

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Millennium Park map
• City of Chicago Loop Community Map
• MillenniumPark.org Images and description of Kapoor's public sculpture at Millennium Park, Chicago

Coordinates: 41°52′57.67″N, 87°37′23.97″W

v • d • e Millennium Park Features and attractions Boeing Galleries • BP Pedestrian Bridge • Chase Promenade • Cloud Gate/AT&T Plaza • Crown Fountain • Exelon Pavilions • Harris Theater • Jay Pritzker Pavilion • Lurie Garden • McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink • McDonald's Cycle Center • Wrigley Square Surrounding streets Columbus Drive • Historic Michigan Boulevard District • Michigan Avenue • Randolph Street Influences Anish Kapoor • Frank Gehry • Jaume Plensa • Kathryn Gustafson • Piet Oudolf • Robert Israel • Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Other Grant Park • Nichols Bridgeway

	Wrigley Square	Boeing Gallery	Chase Promenade	v • d • e
	McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink		Chase Promenade
		Cloud Gate
	Crown Fountain	Boeing Gallery	Chase Promenade