Like an adult version of a fun-house mirror, the Cloud Gate sculpture is one of Chicago’s coolest tourist attractions.
The sculpture was completed in 2006 with a total construction cost of $23 Million. Affectionally known by Chicago locals as “the bean”, the artist thinks that name is “stupid”, and called it Cloud Gate because it acts as a type of gate that helps bridge the space between the sky and the viewer.
It’s composed of 168 stainless steel plates welded together that are highlight polished and have no visible seams.
Some people say it was inspired by liquid mercury, I think it really was inspired my fun house mirrors :).