Anish Kapoor, British-Indian sculptor, most known for Chicago’s “Cloud Gate,” a.k.a. “The Bean,” is bringing the mirrored landmark all the way to NYC…well sort of!

NYC is actually home to Kapoor’s brand new version of the mirrored masterpiece located at 56 Leonard Street in Tribeca. Though the Jenga-like skyscraper was completed in 2017, it still lacked its bean component that was initially commissioned for the building specifically. That is until Tuesday’s official unveiling.

According to an email between Performance Structures Inc. (the fabricator) and the Alexico Group (the developer) that was acquired by Tribeca Citizen back in 2018, the methods to construct a seamless finish to the sculpture had never been used before, not even on Chicago’s original Cloud Gate. That, on top of the pandemic and shipping stalls is what led to the structure’s five year delay.

“The path to realising the sculpture has not been easy…Designs for the work were first released in 2008, but fabrication was delayed due to challenges in finding a cost-effective way to join the metal sections of the work while ensuring a flawless finish,” reports a previous press release.https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoGXOTFJVZ1/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=540&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fsecretnyc.co&rp=%2Fanish-kapoor-bean-sculpture-56-leonard-street-nyc%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0uem6i60f_hvTs92LtobRKtH95C8Aa_GE2ZHDv5RB4vRuS0mibjWEghkU#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A3040.5%2C%22ls%22%3A2676.7999999523163%2C%22le%22%3A3016.5%7D

Rather than appearing in perfect symmetry like its Chicago counterpart, the Leonard Street sculpture gives the illusion that it’s being squished beneath the weight of the NYC tower.

Furthermore, NYC’s suspension system differs from that of Chicago’s with the installation of tension cables. Therefore, the Leonard Street Bean is able to expand and contract to shifting temperatures and sway in the wind, whereas Chicago’s is unwavering.

The newly completed sculpture is Kapoor’s first permanent public artwork in NYC. It tops out at 19 feet tall, stretching 48 feet long and weighs a whopping 40 tons!

Izak Senbahar, president of Alexico Group, shared in an earlier statement his excitement for the installation, declaring hopes that the structure “will draw arts and culture lovers to its magical seamless surface.”

56 Leonard Street (the corner of Church Street and Leonard Street)

Source: secretnyc.co