Work is finally finished on Anish Kapoor’s mirrored bean sculpture at the base of 56 Leonard Street, an 831-foot-tall residential skyscraper in Tribeca. The 19-foot-tall, 48-foot-long amorphous artwork was unveiled last week beside the main lobby and ground-floor retail space of the 57-story reinforced concrete tower, which was designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Hill West Architects for Alexico Grpup and opened in 2017. Performance Structures was the fabricator for Kapoor’s 40-ton permanent installation, located at the corner of Leonard and Church Streets.
The piece appeared complete at the time of our last update in April 2022, but sat surrounded by scaffolding, black netting, and fencing. This has all been removed, allowing pedestrians to approach the sculpture and take in the distorted reflections from its stainless steel surface.
56 Leonard Street. Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
56 Leonard Street. Photo by Michael Young
56 Leonard Street. Photo by Michael Young
56 Leonard Street. Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Work on Kapoor’s bean began in early 2019, but was delayed by shipping issues, a rupture of the outer stainless steel shell from solar radiation, and the pandemic. The piece’s completion puts the finishing touch on 56 Leonard Street and gives New York its own version of Kapoor’s famous “Cloud Gate” sculpture in Chicago’s Millennium Park.
The nearest subways from the site are the A, C, and E trains at the Chambers Street station to the south on Church Street.
An official naming ceremony is expected to happen sometime this spring.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
Reflected surroundings on its surface with the boundary, between buildings and sculpture are the art by shaping. A reflection that marks the limits of an area when people up close on it, but stainless steel that resistant tarnishing and rust is beautiful: Thanks to Michael Young.
Well, this certainly has bean a long time in the making. (Credit to Michael Young) But, it does look nice. It distracts your eyes from looking up at the tower at least. 🙂
Elsa Peretti disrespect.
All graffiti look good on it!
The building is crushing that spaceship from the Disney movie.
Doesn’t exactly ‘blend in’
Looks like the building is crushing a piece of metal.
I’d recommend to get a few “selfies” in this next week or so, before someone vandalizes it by scratching or with spray paint?! 😔
If it isn’t completed defaced, will add to the list for my next visit.
Your optimism is inspiring.
No, it’s called reality,
graffiti and tagging are a part of NYC!
Everytime there’s a new project proposed on this blog, notice all the older buildings covered with graffiti?
It’s the human version of a dog “peeing on a tree”!
Pathetic… 😔
I love the sculpture in Chicago, but this looks like the building had an accident.
Good one.
It’s a trashy gimmick
Most public art these days is either deliberately offensive or just plain stupid. This falls into the later category.