Cloud Gate...Chicago

A joy to visit....

Chicago is known for its high winds.

My Structural Engineer husband did the wind-load calculations for the installation of this immense and beautiful structure. 

Chicago meets Panama City

Cloud Gate-Chicago

"Cloud Gate is a three-story steel sculpture that has been dubbed "The Bean" by Chicagoans, because of its legume-like shape. The sculpture is the first public artwork in the United States by world-renowned artist Anish Kapoor. The privately funded piece cost $23 million, considerably more than the original estimate of $6 million. Composed of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It is 33 by 66 by 42 feet (10 m × 20 m × 13 m) and weighs 110 short tons (100 t; 98 long tons).^[64]

After Kapoor's design for the sculpture was selected during a design competition,^[65] numerous technological concerns regarding the design's construction and assembly arose,^{[64][66][67][68]} in addition to concerns regarding the sculpture's upkeep and maintenance.^[67][69] Experts were consulted, some of whom believed the design could not be implemented.^[70]Eventually, a feasible method was found, but the sculpture's construction fell behind schedule. Cloud Gate was unveiled in an incomplete form during the Millennium Park grand opening celebration,^[71] as the grid of welds around each metal panel was still visible.^[72] The sculpture was concealed again while it was completed;^[73][74] in early 2005, workers polished out the seams.^[72] Cloud Gate was formally dedicated on May 15, 2006,^[75][76] and it has since gained considerable popularity, both domestically and internationally.^{[77][78][79][80][81]}

Cloud Gate (also known as "the Bean") is a reflective steel sculpture that is inspired by liquid mercury; the sculpture's surface reflects and distorts the city's skyline.^[65][82] The curved, mirror-like surface of the sculpture provides striking reflections of visitors,^[77] the city skyline (particularly the historic Michigan Avenue "streetwall") and the sky.^[83][84] Visitors are able to walk around and under Cloud Gate's 12-foot (3.7 m) high arch. On the underside is the "omphalos" (Greek for "navel"), a concave chamber that warps and multiplies reflections. The sculpture builds upon many of Kapoor's artistic themes and is popular with tourists as a photo-taking opportunity for its unique reflective properties.^[85][86]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park