Courting Canopy Part 2 Project 2007 Stefan Laurent Busher London South Bank University | UK Courting Canopy is a timber structure housing a unique collection of astrological papers written by Richard Sheepshanks. Early investigations of the site studied the reciprocating forms of the tree canopies and inferred spaces under, over, and between. A dynamic male topography on the ground, undulating underfoot, waits expectantly for the female form which creates a protective canopy hanging off the trees like a crumpled wooden blanket, wrapping the halves together. Within the canopy are a series of pods where couples meet for a romantic interlude and observe the stars; the astronomers undertake their own personal romance with the sky by viewing through telescopes provided. Stefan’s commitment to architecture is remarkable; he is a busy member of a busy office, studying part time. That he wants to genuinely test his own limits while studying made him a pleasure to teach. The Courting Canopy project opposite Knightsbridge Barracks reflects an incongruous (unexecuted) planning consent for a pavilion within the gardens given years ago. Plotting the residual spaces inferred by the tree canopies Stefan developed an intricate topography from which an articulated glulam canopy developed, partially supported from collars attached to the trees, and punctured to allow lovers to horizontally contemplate the night sky in Knightsbridge’s very own naked eye observatory.