The Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
One thing all U.S. cities have in common is their sometimes great and sometimes very strange art displays. Perhaps none are as fascinating as the Cloud Gate in Chicago, Illinois, and it‘s greatness completely depends on the viewer. The sculpture is shaped like a bean, is 33 x 66 x 42 feet and weighs approximately 200 tons.
Built between 2004 and 2006, the outside is made up of 168 stainless steel plates that reflect and distort the city’s skyline. Naturally, as you move around the structure, the distortions change. Some say it is impossible to tell where the sky ends and the sculpture begins, when the light is right. Others claim the sculpture warps time by distorting the moving of the clouds in the sky. Tourists come from all over the world to see buildings that look like they might fall, as well as their own reflections viewed in the sculpture’s under belly.
First estimated to cost six million dollars, the final total reached $11.5 million, paid for by donations. While it is open to the public most of the time, twice a year the dome is washed and occasionally it is closed for such things as photo shoots and Hollywood movies. The lower six feet are wiped down twice a day by hand and in case you are curious, the inside of Cloud Gate is hollow.
Millennium Park, where the art is erected, was once rail yards and parking lots. Now it has become a center for art, music and architecture located in the larger Grant Park. Among other attractions in the park are an ice skating rink, a theater for music and dance, and a promenade. Other works of art displayed in the park are Crown Fountain, Lurie Garden and Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Naturally, there are plenty of places to stay in Chicago and the park has its own parking garage. While there, why not visit the tallest building in America — The Willis (Sears) Towers and don’t miss the Sky Deck where the view will take your breath away.
If you are thinking of seeing America this year, give the Cloud Gate and Chicago some serious consideration.
By Marti Talbott
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