Cloud Gate continues this public work as people find themselves alongside, seemingly, all of Chicago, all of the Lake, and all of its impressive architectural feats represented in the reflection of The Bean. Kapoor’s work consistently works with limits and limitlessness, among many other topics of duality. This warping of space and expectation is just part of the wonder that is The Bean. Themes of Cloud Gate, Chicago’s ReflectionĪt the right time of day and angle, Cloud Gate becomes indistinguishable from the sky.

By the time the name “Cloud Gate” became more widely known in the years to follow, the endearing (and misleading) nickname was etched in stone. It’s no surprise that many people wonder what the Bean in Chicago means - what could be the deeper meaning of a giant, silver bean? If you lived in Chicagoland during the time that the Bean was under construction, you may remember that few people were aware of the sculpture’s formal title and simply called it “the Bean” due to its kidney-bean-like shape. Because of its breath-taking all-aluminum body, Cloud Gate reflects a multitude of angles all at once, whether you find yourself in the astounding glamor beneath its 33-foot tall frame, or you gaze into the Chicago skyline reflected and distorted along its 66-foot span.

What does The Bean in Chicago mean? Formally known as Cloud Gate, Chicago’s Bean is a mercury-inspired structural wonder of engineering, resulting from the artistic vision of Anish Kapoor in collaboration with a design and construction firm.

Chicago bean open