The Swanky Red Spectacle of Chi-Town: Alexander Calder's Flamingo

Standing tall at 53 feet, Flamingo weighs a hefty 50 tons. Alexander Calder, a bigwig in constructivism, whipped this steel 'stabile' up and slathered it in his signature Calder red. The United States General Services Administration got their hands on this masterpiece way back in 1974. Fun fact: Flamingo was Calder's first commission under the federal Percent for Art program. On October 25, 1974, the unveiling of this Flamingo and his 'Universe' mobile at the Sears Tower (now known as the Willis Tower) were both swanky events.

Close neighbors like the Kluczynski Federal Building had to make room for Flamingo's strawberry-hued presence. To the untrained eye, Flamingo may seem out of place among the city's sea of black and steel office buildings, but that's part of its charm. You can saunter around and under it, beaming at its sleek surfaces and fluid forms. As a piece of art, it's a flamboyant charmer that flirts with nature and the animal kingdom. If you're lookin' to delve deeper, just meander over to the Art Institute of Chicago, where you'll find a minature version of the 53-foot-tall sculpture, a maquette that once graced the Loop Station post office in the Federal Plaza.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons