Crews unified pieces of the Unity Dome sculpture on Monday at the City Square in downtown Joliet.

The crews from Austin Tyler Construction spent the majority of the warm and sunny day putting together the sculpture, which arrived in crates.

A crane was used to lift the pieces and place them in the center of City Square. The crews finished the majority of the work on Monday afternoon and left a fence around the sculpture.

International multimedia artist Sijia Chen, based in Los Angeles, worked with the crews throughout Monday to assist them with the installation.

“I’m very honored to be part of the bigger project to be creating something very special for City Square for Joliet,” Chen said.

Chen said the shape of the dome is the “form of unity.” She said she also took inspiration from the arch seen at the top of the Rialto Square Theatre.

City officials have said the 12-foot-tall, 19-foot-wide sculpture is “designed to be functional, interactive and community-driven, serving as a focal point within City Square.”

The dome is fabricated from “stainless steel with a protective anti-graffiti coating,” city officials said.

In a statement, Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy said the sculpture will “not only be an iconic piece of art, but also a reflection of Joliet’s identity, history and future.”

The unity dome is abstract in nature, such as Cloud Gate (also known as the Bean) and the Flamingo in downtown Chicago or the Landforms sculpture in downtown Naperville.

But the unity dome has visual elements that are evocative of Joliet, such as its status as a hub of transportation, U.S. Route 66 and 1980 movie Blues Brothers, which has scenes filmed in the city.

“Every element has a special meaning and it all comes from people in Joliet,” Chen said.