A striking new pavilion by Marc Fornes / THEVERYMANY has been unveiled in Cradle of Country Music Park in Knoxville, Tennessee, adding a bold architectural presence to a revitalized public square. Long-time CODAworx member Marc Fornes brings his signature fusion of computational design and sculptural form to the project, which helps visually and physically connect Knoxville’s Old Town with its theater district.
Titled Pier 865, the vibrant pavilion rises among the park’s mature trees, offering both a shaded place to rest and an elevated vantage point for visitors. Composed of tens of thousands of individually fabricated and painted aluminum pieces, the structure reads as both organic and futuristic. Its reptilian form appears to ripple across the landscape, simultaneously echoing natural textures and asserting a distinctly contemporary identity.
Digitally conceived and precisely engineered, Pier 865 exemplifies Fornes’ long-standing exploration of how complex geometries can be translated into buildable, human-scale experiences. The pavilion’s pixel-like components suggest a digital model brought fully into the physical world, where computation, craftsmanship, and public life intersect.
Click here to learn more about this project, or check out Marc Fornes' other projects on CODAworx.
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