Project overview: The seven-acre Downtown Cary Park is the centerpiece of an investment by the Town of Cary to enhance, expand, and protect the public vibrancy of their growing community. Starting from the development of a master plan informed by extensive community engagement, the team worked to design the park as a cohesive assemblage of landscape and architecture.
The submitting firm designed four signature pavilions within the park, all sharing a consistent material pallet that connects to local vernacular traditions of construction:
The Academy Pavilion, located at the interface of the town’s historic urban core and the park, is the primary food and beverage point, and provides public restrooms, indoor/outdoor multi-use flexible space, and below-grade park support spaces.
The Great Lawn Pavilion, located at the center of the park, anchors the intersection of many distinct zones. It has the capacity to host large events, movies, and performances, and provides a shaded space for a range of activities. The Pavilion is a single inverted cone with an asymmetrical apex, supported on just three points—a dramatization of structure that reflects the primary purpose of the stage.
The Bark Bar Pavilion provides a smaller food and beverage point at the northern most corner of the park sited adjacent to the dog play areas. Its roof edge forms an oversized scupper for rainfall, providing a centerpiece for a partially enclosed courtyard.
The Gathering House provides a large interior room that can be open to the surrounding Gathering-Garden, for both private and public programming.
Project location: Cary, North Carolina
Firm name: MACHADO SILVETTI
Architect of Record: Machado Silvetti
Completion: 2023
Client: Joy C. Ennis, General Manager, Downtown Cary Park
Jury comments: This is a wonderful park and multiple-pavilion project with an interesting strategy to create different zones and activities. A playful project that creates a dynamic sculpture park of pavilions in an awkward site connecting the elements with curving paths. This project creates a lively, memorable space. The form and material are heavy but identifiable.
