Millennium Park is arguably Chicago’s most famous tourist attraction, with over 20 million visitors a year coming to enjoy free concerts, relaxing by the Crown Fountain or communing with nature at the Lurie Garden. But undoubtably, most visitors come to snap selfies in front of Cloud Gate (a.k.a. the Bean). This iconic structure with its highly polished exterior is one of the world’s largest (and most popular) permanent outdoor art installations.
But in contrast to its shiny face, after 20 years and millions of visitors, the surrounding plaza was beginning to look rough around the edges and needed a serious makeover.
A Much Needed Revamp
The original pedestrian plaza, constructed in 2004 using precast pavers set in a bituminous bed, had lost its ability to drain properly, with water becoming trapped below the pavers. Eventually water began leaking into the parking garage below. With the plaza itself, after years of heavy traffic, the surface was suffering with heavy wear and tear. Years of dirt and grime, and gum imbedded in the concrete surface was a nightmare to clean and couldn’t be power washed off. Replacement pavers were dotted randomly over the plaza, but their different color due to their age of replacement, created a patchwork of mismatched pavers.
In 2023, the City of Chicago in conjunction with Epstein Global Architecture, decided to upgrade the roughly 20,000 square feet plaza around The Bean to replace the plaza with pavers that would be less of a headache to maintain over the long term and a system that would provide better water drainage under the pavers. The solution proposed was to radically improve the drainage system by replacing the existing plaza with an elevated deck system, supported by adjustable height pedestals.
Key Considerations for the Upgraded Plaza
Archatrak was chosen as the supplier of all components of the selected system – Archatrak’s T30 3cm thick heavy duty porcelain pavers for the new plaza surface, Archatrak 8’x 4’ SpanTrak FRP grating panels to provide safe and stable support for the pavers and Archatrak Premier adjustable height pedestals to support the FRP panels and pavers.
Rather than reinstall concrete pavers on the plaza, the city elected to use 3cm thick porcelain pavers for a more aesthetically pleasing and cohesive look, which will not change in color over time. More importantly, since porcelain pavers are practically impervious to water, they are exceptionally resistant to staining, scratches and weather-related cracking, and gum can more easily be removed.
Although the 3cm thick porcelain pavers are exceptionally strong, Archatrak SpanTrak FRP MidiMesh grating panels were specified to provide a superior support base, perfectly level and stable. Archatrak NM pedestal heads with inbuilt spacer tabs and a soft rubber surface were placed between the pavers and FRP grating panels to ensure precise spacing of the pavers and to reduce noise transmission.
The city selected Archatrak’s Italian made, Moov Grey 3cm thick porcelain pavers since they are a very similar color to the original concrete pavers. And rather than attempting to match the sand-colored precast stairs and perimeter surrounding the Bean, new precast steps were color matched with these porcelain pavers.
Plaza Opens with a Fresh New Look and Upgraded Drainage
The resulting plaza with its soft grey tone, perfectly highlights the sculptural beauty of The Bean. Water can now drain more easily through the space between the pavers, preventing any pooling during rainy weather, and the adjustable deck pedestals allow water to flow away unimpeded over the waterproof membrane. The paver color will not change or fade over time and ongoing maintenance costs are expected to be considerably lower than with the original concrete paved plaza.
The Chicago Bean Plaza re-opened in June 2024 with a classic, yet modern touch. For installations like this, which are walked on by millions of visitors every year, the choice of materials is critical. Archatrak’s porcelain pedestal paver system offered a safe, strong solution with a refined look and outstanding durability, which is expected to stand up to the extremes of Chicago weather and the constant parade of visitors every day, for many years to come.
