With Shadowhunters quickly becoming one of our favorite television series, we can’t help but be in awe of its amazing sets. Here’s an exclusive look at how the set of the Institute was designed!
Arguably the most important set on Shadowhunters right now is the Institute where Clary is trying to stay out of Valentine’s clutches. On the outside, the Institute appears to be a run down old church, but the inside is awe inspiring. Acting as the headquarters for the Shadowhunters, it’s filled with all the technology they need to track down demons while still being surrounded by the beauty of the old church.
Production designer Rob Gray describes how he works out set designs with putting functionality first, including the space, depth of field, and lighting. “When they walk into the Institute, yeah they’re a Shadowhunter,” says Gray. “They see the things on the monitors and all the imagery and all the runes, and hopefully that’s helping to spark the energy that ignites them.”
Star Katherine McNamara, who plays Clary, retells seeing the set of the Institute for the first time and how it took her breath away. “It’s the perfect physical representation of what Shadowhunters are which is this blend of tradition and technology, the old and the new, and the journey that we have to go through in the show,” says McNamara.
Dominic Sherwood, who plays Jace, enjoys being immersed in the world of the Shadowhunters. “It’s so wonderful having these sets that are built because you’re in that world, you’re immersed in it, you don’t have to pretend on green screen and you don’t have to act so much because you’re behaving how you would behave in those situations.”
The Institute is just one of the many interesting sets on Shadowhunters and there’s still so much more to see in their world, we can’t wait to see what else comes!