Anish Kapoor’s 20th-century sculpture nicknamed “The Bean” in Chicago’s Millennium Park is Cloud Gate.
Kapoor designed the monumental stainless-steel work between 2004 and 2006. Its smooth, reflective surface mirrors Chicago’s skyline, the park, and visitors, while a concave underside creates the enclosed space known as the “omphalos.”
The sculpture is made from 168 stainless-steel plates welded together and polished until the seams became nearly invisible. Its continuous reflective skin makes the surrounding city appear curved, stretched, and repeatedly reflected.
Cloud Gate is the centerpiece of AT&T Plaza in Millennium Park. “The Bean” is a popular nickname rather than the official title, and the nickname refers to the sculpture’s rounded, legume-like shape. It quickly became one of Chicago’s best-known public artworks after its dedication.