PILOTI / MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY

Architects: MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY
Area: 321.78 m²
Year: 2025
Photography: Younes Bounhar / Doublespace Photography
Client: City of Bellevue
City: Bellevue Downtown Park, Washington
Country: United States

PILOTI by MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY is a self-supported aluminum pavilion designed as a luminous gateway to Bellevue Downtown Park in Washington. Commissioned by the City of Bellevue, the 7.2-meter-tall structure spans roughly 322 square meters and consists of 6,665 uniquely shaped aluminum components fastened by 180,900 rivets. Its circular form blends a cluster of umbrella-like geometries into a single continuous shell, balancing precision engineering with sculptural expression. The perforated skin filters daylight into a dynamic field of dappled shadows, transforming into a glowing lantern after dark. As both a landmark and a gathering space, PILOTI exemplifies the firm’s exploration of computational design and ultra-thin structural systems, inviting visitors into an immersive environment that merges art, community, and architecture.

Marking the entrance to Bellevue Downtown Park, PILOTI by MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY stands as a sculptural threshold between the city and its green heart. Rising 7.2 meters in height, the structure appears light yet complex, its slender columns tapering upward to meet in branching capitals that unfold into an umbrella-like canopy. Fabricated from 3-millimeter aluminum panels, each uniquely shaped and connected through nearly 181,000 rivets, the pavilion achieves remarkable rigidity through geometric precision rather than bulk. Its pleated perimeter and scalloped finials add both strength and visual rhythm, transforming engineering necessity into ornament.

This synthesis of structure and surface defines the project’s architectural character. The canopy’s 6,665 individual components form a seamless whole, where each element participates in distributing loads across the ultra-thin shell. Perforations throughout the aluminum skin serve functional and atmospheric roles—facilitating assembly while modulating light. During the day, sunlight filters through in shifting patterns that animate the ground plane; by night, integrated lighting projects a diffused glow, turning the pavilion into a radiant landmark visible from across the park.

Beyond its structural and aesthetic achievement, PILOTI is conceived as a social catalyst. The pavilion’s circular geometry creates an informal gathering space that adapts to various uses, from public performances to casual encounters. It invites movement and participation, offering shelter while maintaining openness to its surroundings. The design’s success lies in its ability to transform advanced computation and fabrication into a tangible expression of community and belonging.

For MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY, PILOTI extends an ongoing investigation into the potentials of ultra-thin, self-supporting shells. The project exemplifies the firm’s pursuit of architectural lightness—where material efficiency, digital precision, and experiential richness converge. Within Bellevue’s urban fabric, PILOTI stands not merely as an entrance but as a civic emblem of welcome, its luminous canopy bridging the boundary between structure and sky, art and everyday life.