L’ile Folie

Downtown Park, Town of Cary, NC

Concrete Island + Lightweight Aluminum Canopy Structure

Design + Computation: MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY

Commission: Town of Cary, NC

Opening: Completed 2025

All images Copyrights by THEVERYMANY x Kroo Photography (No use or reproduction allowed without written authorization).

.

You can’t miss it! Like a mirage made solid, L’île Folie blurs the line between architecture and apparition. Rising 31 feet from a constructed island in the heart of Downtown Cary Park, L’île Folie glimmers over water—part structure, part sculpture, and entirely unexpected. It’s not just a pavilion. It’s not just public art. It’s a playful reinvention of the architectural folly, brought to life through cutting-edge fabrication and a sense of wonder.

Commissioned by the City of Cary, L’île Folie is a featherlight canopy made from ultra-thin folded aluminum panels—each one unique, each one riveted precisely into place. Assembled piece by piece, the structure forms a seamless shell. There’s no hidden skeleton here. The skin is the structure. Every curve, every joint, every rivet is doing something. It’s skin and bone, logic and ornament, all in one breath.

Step onto the island, and you feel it: the pause. The hush of the park. The shift in light. Above you, the canopy folds like a metallic bloom, casting patterns across the ground as sun filters through thousands of tiny perforations. It’s a moment. A place to see the park anew—from a new angle, a new perspective, a new mood.

Playful yet precise, bold yet delicate. L’île Folie balances spectacle with intimacy. It’s made from thousands of digitally fabricated parts, yet it feels almost handwoven. It’s futuristic, but it speaks to something old: the joy of discovering a folly in the landscape.

By day, it plays with sun and shadow. By night, it glows softly—an island lantern casting ripples of light across the water. It’s a quiet landmark, a place for shared moments, and a reminder that the best public spaces are the ones that invite us to linger.

And it’s more than beautiful—it’s useful. L’île Folie was designed not just to be seen, but to be used. Think small weddings, birthday parties, quiet ceremonies, or impromptu performances. The island becomes a stage. The structure becomes the proscenium. The reflections off the water become part of the scene.

It’s the kind of thing that doesn’t demand attention—but it earns it. You cross the bridge out of curiosity. You stay because the space holds you. And when you leave, you’ve seen the park differently.

This isn’t just a structure. It’s an experience. A destination. A dream rendered in rivets and reflection. L’île Folie brings back the forgotten delight of the architectural folly—only this time, with a whole new script.