![]() ![]() ![]() The polyurethane is a very versatile, long lasting, lightweight plastic material, resistant to high temperatures (this is fundamental because of the important climatic variations of the city), and it is an eco-sustainable material that does not contains or releases harmful substances. So was chosen the “AT & T Plaza” reinforced to support the work, Kapoor used a type of high density polyurethane foam for modeling both the plastic and the final work. This was the reason that led the officials to rethink a suitable place where it could be assembled. ![]() The total weight is not of 54 tons as initially estimated, but 100. With its elliptical shape that distorts everything that is reflected, from the surrounding skyscrapers to the thousands of people who every day enjoy photographing their distorted image on the glossy, smooth and reflective surface, the structure is 10 meters wide, 20 meters long and 13 meters high. The structural part was then removed before finishing the work. The first piece of the Cloud Gate was built in 2004 and consisted of two rings of stainless steel with crossed tubes that allowed balancing during work. The idea was initially to build the Cloud Gate in Oakland in its entirety and then transport it to Chicago by sea but the operation was considered too risky, so it was decided to transport each single steel panel by land and then assemble the structure on site. It was Kapoor’s first public open-air opera in the United States.Ĭonsisting of 168 polished and coated sheet steel plates welded to each other by the Oakland company, Performance Structures Inc., through a five-step process: initial sculpting and first contours, second sculpting, finishing and polishing operations necessary to produce the mirror effect typical of the sculpture that makes the welds practically invisible. Evaluating the project of 30 different artists, only two remained in the race: Jeff Koons who had proposed a sculpture in the shape of a 46 meter high slide with a panoramic roof accessible by elevator and the Anish Kapoor Cloud Gate, already known internationally for creating spectacular works in urban environments of extreme dimensions and with a strong visual impact. The history of Cloud Gate dates back to the announcement launched in 1999 by Millenium Park officials who, in collaboration with art collectors, curators and architects had decided to install a work of art in the park gardens. Actually Anish Kapoor conceived the architectural work inspired by the fall of a mercury drop, its fractionation and movement. The Cloud Gate is familiarly called the bean by the inhabitants of Chicago because of its appearance. The work of the English artist of Indian origins Anish Kapoor is placed at the center of the Millenium Plaza in the midst of other remarkable architectural works. Around Cloud Gate = Pedestrian.The Cloud Gate is the emblem of Chicago. The Bean was originally made for the Lurie Gardens, but moved to it’s own space because it was drawing so many people that the park managers were afraid they would trample the gardens.Ĭirculation in Millennium Park. Why does the Bean excel in popularity? The analysis of the Cloud Gate will help to decide where certain sculptures would be the most engaging in future projects. I also would really like to study the impact location can make on a sculpture. In order to determine if similar sculptures would benefit as much elsewhere, such as in Springfeild, Missouri, analysis needs to be conducted in regards to why Cloud Gate is so popular. I am studying how Cloud Gate, otherwise known as the Electric Kidney Bean or just the Bean, affects the surrounding community on a regional, city, and block scale. POPULAR BECAUSE: reflects the skyline ( Cloud Gate is named so because it reflects 80% of the sky), plays with light, it’s size and elegance, it’s interactive in that people become the art, it serves as Chicago’s mascot “Chicago, the wonder city, has a new wonder.” – Chicago TribuneįINISH: 2004 (finish had been delayed because of the popularity of the sculpture)
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