New York to Get Its Own Bean

Chicagoans have grown used to, and even come to embrace, their Second City status, but there are a few areas where the windier burg routinely trumps its more populous rival: hot dogs, deep-dish pizza, skyscrapers, and, in recent years, public art. Millennium Park’s gleaming 110-ton Anish Kapoor sculpture—nicknamed “The Bean”—has become a beloved symbol of […]

Chicagoans have grown used to, and even come to embrace, their Second City status, but there are a few areas where the windier burg routinely trumps its more populous rival: hot dogs, deep-dish pizza, skyscrapers, and, in recent years, public art. Millennium Park’s gleaming 110-ton Anish Kapoor sculpture—nicknamed “The Bean”—has become a beloved symbol of the city since its 2004 installation, and is far more recognizable than any of its New York brethren.

That is, until yesterday, when Herzog & de Meuron unveiled the design of its first skyscraper, now under construction in downtown Manhattan. At its base will be a new reflective stainless-steel Kapoor—his first permanent piece for the city—which, in renderings, looks strikingly similar to Chicago’s Bean. Even more galling, it is a mere two blocks away from a local branch of Uno Chicago Grill. (Now that’s synergy!) More images after the jump.

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