by Invisible Forest and Charley Brentnall
the community shelter
The Community Forest Shelter, created for Forest of Imagination 2023, was originally constructed by architecture students from the University of Reading.
The striking timber structure was designed as a place for gathering, rest and outdoor learning. Following its installation at the festival, the shelter was relocated to Bishopstrow, where it now forms part of the
wider Forest of Imagination Wiltshire experience within the estate grounds.
Designed as a place for gathering, rest and outdoor learning, the shelter reflects the festival's belief in creativity as a shared, hands-on process - bringing together architects, artists and students to shape a space that invites people to slow down and connect, both with each other and with the natural world around them.
Following its debut at the festival, the shelter found a permanent home at Bishopstrow, where it now forms part of the wider Forest of Imagination Wiltshire experience. Nestled within the estate grounds, it continues to serve its original purpose: a quiet, welcoming space for visitors to pause, gather and learn beneath the trees, carrying the spirit of the installation's original mission forward, on a permanent basis, in the Wiltshire countryside.
