'Canopy' is a proposal for a basketball facility in North Eveleigh, at the site of the existing Clothing Store Precinct of Carriageworks. The design is driven by an umbrella structural exploration, where the structure drives the design concept and experience of the visitor. Here, the large umbrellas create a large canopy roof, which directly contrasts the residential and industrial context of Redfern. This is an attempt to explore the world of sports, where the rules of the real world are abandoned for the rules of the game, transporting the player into a new reality. The circulation of the building encourages the viewer to navigate through the network of umbrella structures, mimicking the feeling of a natural forest, disorienting the individual from their surroundings. Large structural CLT timber trunks are fixed to a core element, which holds the trusses 'branches' that support the roof, in a highly expressive design. Use of timber and brick are considered for their environmental benefits, being readily available and easily recycled.
