The concept of a pier is traditionally tied to the water, offering a vantage point over the sea or a lake. But in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the Cradle Of Country Music Park, a new and distinctly contemporary structure, Pier 865, redefines this idea, extending not over water but into the historical park’s tree canopy. Commissioned by the City of Knoxville , this striking installation by architect-artist Marc Fornes and his studio, THEVERYMANY, serves as a functional piece of public art, bridging the Old Town neighborhood and the theater district. It invites passers-by to walk out to the pier’s end and engage in a moment of reflection and observation.
The sculpture’s form is a striking duet between weight and lightness. The foundation is a cast-in-place concrete pierthat organically extends the city center’s level into the green space of the park, providing integrated elements like benches, steps, and resting ledges. Resting above this solid base is the lightweight, airy aluminum canopy. This signature approach by THEVERYMANY—led by Fornes—blurs the line between art and architecture, creating an immersiveyet completely analogue experience that transforms the surrounding environment.
THEVERYMANY shows off its distinctive flair for digital fabrication and material innovation in this work. The structure is built from thousands of palm-sized strips of painted aluminum, each pre-folded and assembled to form facets of the whole —much like a colossal 3D puzzle. Fornes, known for working with materials thinner than a credit card , creates impossibly thin structures assembled on-site with hand-carriable pieces. This engineering wonder is the result of Fornes’s pioneering exploration of computation and algorithmic design , where instructions are coded to generate the intricate geometries.
The art installation‘s surface is finished in a gradient of seven subtle tones , featuring soft greens, hints of butter yellow, and deep-sea blues. This careful color choice mirrors the park’s foliage and the sky, allowing the organic shape to assert a vibrant, yet harmonious, presence. Depending on the viewer’s perspective, the shape shifts: from the ground, it evokes an alien flora, but viewed from the sky, a tensile, reptilian form reveals itself. This dialogue of form, color, and space rewards visitors from every angle.
The lightweight aluminum canopy is supported by five slender legs, and its three cantilevered wings offer unique functional experiences for the public. One elevated wing forms a shaded stage for small gatherings and public performances, inviting groups to linger. Another forward loop sparks curiosity and play , while a low, retreating wing creates quiet moments among the trees, offering views stretching toward the distant mountains. This functionality continues the park’s long-standing tradition as a cultural touchstone since its establishment in 1986 to celebrate country music heritage.
Marc Fornes’s projects are widely celebrated for their ability to transport visitors to fantastical realms, evoking a sense of wonder and escapism. While some may see natural forms like coral or blooming flowers in his work , from a distance, these iconic organic forms stand as powerful urban sculptures , significantly enriching the communities they inhabit. The addition of Pier 865 in Knoxville, by Fornes, contributes to this legacy of public art in the Cradle of Country Music, introducing a distinctly contemporary and functional dimension.