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On Location with Roberta
By Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
Millennium Park
www.milleniumpark.org
Chicago, Illinois
Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
August 6, 2004 During this summer, 2004, Chicago’s long awaited new, $475 million Millennium Park is opening in grandeur, near Grant Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, Lake Michigan, and downtown Chicago. Recently the site of 24 ˝ acres of train yards and parking lots, Millenium Park consists of Cloud Gate, also called “The Bean”, a 110-pound sculpture designed by Anish Kapoor, a British artist. The term, The Bean, came about due to the jelly bean-like shape of this stainless steel structure, which reflects the people in the park and the Chicago skyline. One can walk beneath The Bean and look into the spectacular visual images.
The Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry, a steel concert pavilion, is 120 feet high, with 4,000 indoor seats and room for 7,000 people on its expansive lawn. The Grant Park Orchestra performs there, as well as amplified, recorded music and special guest artists. Mayor Richard Daley was quite instrumental in the success of this unusual Park, and there are, at his request, no posts, but rather trellises of steel that hold speakers for the lawn and Park visitors. BP Bridge is also designed by Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Spain. From this bridge, one can view the spectacular Chicago skyline. The bridge also links Millennium Park and Grant Park. Lurie Garden, across three acres, contains 240 varieties of perennials and a pedestrian boardwalk with flowing water and a pool.
One of the main highlights of Millennium is Crown Fountain, with two enormous twin towers, 50 feet high, designed by Jaume Plensa. Students from the Art Institute photographed 1,000 people to showcase the cultural mix of this city. After each image is screened on the towers for 12 minutes, they close their lips, and water pours forth for the summer enjoyment of the city children. After the spouting water slows down, the entire tower springs forth with a waterfall on each of its sides, and then the sequence begins again with a new facial image. Both children and adults are mesmerized by this ever-changing and ever-so-cool environment.
The Park Grill, on the Michigan Avenue side, includes outdoor and indoor dining and will become an ice skating rink in the winter. Not part of my itinerary today were two additional venues: Wrigley Square, a square with granite colonnades and a pool, as well as an exhibition of photos of families from around the globe, taken by Uwe Ommer; and Harris Theatre, which seats 1,492 and is home to 12 performing arts groups. 312.334.7777.
For more information on Millennium Park, call 312.742.1168, or visit www.milleniumpark.org. The above itinerary text was prepared with assistance from Coverstory, A Walk through Chicago’s new Millennium Park, Don Snider, Editor, The Star, July 29, 2004, pp 14, 16, 17.
Chicago Skyline
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Chicago Skyline
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Chicago Skyline
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Downtown Sculpture
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Crown Fountain
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Crown Fountain
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Crown Fountain
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Crown Fountain
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Crown Fountain
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Garden
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Pritzker Pavilion
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Promenade
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Lake Michigan
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Lake View with Tall Ship
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Lake View
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Lake View
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Cloud Gate
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Cloud Gate Reflection
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Roberta's Reflection
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Chicago Skyline
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Chicago Skyline
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Chicago Skyline
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
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