Downtown Cary Park is a transformative seven-acre civic landscape that redefines the relationship between architecture, nature, and community through a layered, highly responsive lighting design. Envisioned over more than two decades as a catalyst for downtown revitalization, the park weaves recreation, performance, and ecological stewardship into a cohesive public destination that welcomes visitors of all ages year round.

Organized as a sequence of outdoor “rooms,” the park connects meandering paths, elevated walkways, water and art features, and diverse botanical environments celebrating North Carolina’s native ecology. Active and passive spaces—from the great lawn and interactive play areas to quiet gardens—create a flexible framework for daily use and large civic gatherings. The Architect’s signature pavilions, composed of wood, stone, and metal with inverted conic roof forms, act as luminous anchors that blur interior and exterior boundaries while supporting performances, dining, and leisure.

After dark, lighting reinforces the park’s identity as a civic heart. A sophisticated control system coordinates thousands of individually addressed fixtures and water features, shifting seamlessly from calm, welcoming illumination to vibrant event displays. Warmly illuminated architecture, softly lit pathways, and programmable scenes create an environment that feels both intimate and monumental.