The sculpture depicts a gigantic needle with a multicoloured thread, and a knot that appears in a fountain in another part of the piazza. Created by Claes Oldenburg, artist of Swedish origins, and Coosje van Bruggen, born in Holland, the work was inaugurated in 2000 in Piazzale Cadorna, as part of the refurbishment of Cadorna railway station and the square onto which it faces.
The location for the sculpture was not chosen at random. The piazza is an important node in urban transport, and it is the location where the Ferrovie Nord railway system reaches the city centre. The sculpture expresses a dual symbolism: the three colours (red, green and yellow) represent the three lines of Milan’s metro system, while the needle and thread are a tribute to Milan’s work in the fashion sector.