riveted aluminum panels form cocoon-like pavilion by MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY

MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY’s pavilion rises in north carolina

MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY introduces L’île Folie, a sculptural aluminum pavilion rising from the water at Downtown Cary Park in North Carolina. Positioned on a small concrete island and accessed by a bridge, the structure reinterprets the historic architectural folly as a contemporary public space. The project combines digitally fabricated construction with a long-standing landscape tradition, transforming the once whimsical garden ornament into a gathering space for events, performances, and everyday encounters.

The architect reimagines the folly through a lightweight, digitally fabricated structure, whose canopy unfolds as a branching, cocoon-like form composed of slender legs and curving elements that gather overhead. The construction relies on ultra-thin folded aluminum panels, precisely fabricated and assembled through riveted connections. In this system, the outer skin acts as the structure itself, eliminating the need for an internal frame. Thousands of small perforations puncture the surface, filtering sunlight into shifting patterns of shadow across the ground below.

all images by Steve Kroodsma

revisiting the tradition of the park folly

The team at MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY draws on the legacy of the architectural folly, a typology commonly found in 19th-century European parks where small, often eccentric structures punctuated the landscape. These pavilions were designed to surprise visitors as they wandered through gardens. L’île Folie revisits this tradition while reframing its meaning for contemporary public life. The French word ‘folie’ refers both to these historic garden structures and to a sense of joyful irrationality. The pavilion embraces that double meaning, appearing almost unexpectedly within the park landscape while maintaining a clear civic role.

During the day, the metallic surface of L’île Folie reflects water and sky while the perforations scatter dappled light across the island. After sunset, the structure becomes illuminated from within, resembling a lantern floating at the center of a reflective pond. The island pavilion accommodates weddings, small ceremonies, performances, and informal gatherings, offering a sheltered space within the open park landscape.

The installation forms part of Downtown Cary Park, a recently developed public space created as a cultural and social center for the rapidly growing town of Cary, integrating cafés, music venues, water features, and event spaces. 

L’île Folie rises from a circular concrete island within Downtown Cary Park

the cocoon-like aluminum canopy forms a lightweight pavilion

ultra-thin folded aluminum panels create the pavilion’s structural skin

the island pavilion serves as a gathering space for visitors

the tessellated aluminum surface is composed of digitally fabricated perforated panels

perforations filter daylight into shifting patterns across the ground below

a continuous structural shell

digitally fabricated triangular panels compose the structure

perforations scattered across the panels introduce light and ventilation into the canopy

the pavilion becomes illuminated at night

evening lighting highlights the pavilion’s sculptural geometry

glowing like a lantern within the park

an opening frames the night sky and crescent moon

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visitors gather beneath the perforated canopy

slender aluminum columns spiral upward to support the cocoon-like canopy

the pavilion stands at the center of a circular island

the pavilion’s lightweight structure reflects softly across the surrounding water

the pavilion is accessed by a bridge

project info:

name: L’île Folie

architect: MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY | @theverymany

location: Downtown Cary Park, Cary, North Carolina, United States

commissioner: Town of Cary, NC

photographer: Steve Kroodsma | @photo.kroo