Cloud Gate

Cloud Gate (affectionately known as The Bean by local residents) is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. It's design was inspired by liquid mercury, and it weighs in at nearly 100,000 kilograms. The structure is composed of steel plates that have been seamlessly pieced together and highly polished, twisting the city and skyline around it's warped mirror. Beneath the project, pedestrians are invited to wander through the 'gate'. It is here that one sees the 'omphalos', a concave chamber that warps and multiplies the viewers reflections. It is situated in Millenium Park, which is also home to Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion.