Shadowhunter Institutes around the world that may feature in my fan fictions (UPDATED)
Paris Institute, France (L’Institut Paris)
Location: The Paris Institute is situated in the Entrepôt district of the city. From the outside, the building looks like a Renaissance-era monastery, with a south-facing cloister serving as the main entrance. Interior and facilities: The inside of the Institute juxtaposes the exterior; whereas the outer facade is a modest stone building, the inside is a richly decorated, almost palatial space. The marble floors reflect the pools of light cast by witchlight chandeliers that hang from the high arching ceilings. The living quarters feature large, ornate fireplaces and light wood panelling. In each room of the Institute, classical paintings adorn the ceilings, each one depicting a certain chapter of Nephilim history. Beneath the main building, a lower level of corridors and rooms can be found - although never proven, it’s suspected that the passages are connected to the ancient catacombs of Paris. Administration and residents: The incumbent head of the Paris Institute is Élodie Verlac, assisted by her parabatai Cyrus Gladewell. Having been home to the Verlac family for over a century, the wards include the current generation - Theodor, Liliane and Adrien. Also living at the Paris Institute are the younger Montclaires, Alexis and Rémy.
Brisbane Institute, Australia
Location: Situated on a wooded hillside off of the Mount Nebo road and overlooking the suburbs of Brisbane, the Institute (the third largest on the Pacific Rim) is a convergence of the traditional and the modern. Adamas gates open onto a wide, sloping driveway that leads up to the Institute, a large Brick Gothic cathedral. Over time, the building has been restored and modernised, with large skylights being installed to brighten what was originally a dark and claustrophobic space. At the west of the Institute can be found a garden shaded by tall red ironbark trees and scattered with smaller citrus plants. Additionally, a contemporary training annex is located at the far end of the garden. Interior and facilities: Inside the Institute, it is cool and spacious. Floors tiled in terracotta and clean, white walls make up most of the interior, while traditional carpets, pottery and wall art make the residential wing comfortable but minimalist. Many parts of the Institute are empty and rarely visited, with the only rooms in use being the living room, kitchen, library, classrooms, gymnasium, laboratory and council room. Administration and residents: The Ashburn family have presided over the Brisbane Institute since the 1960s, with the current patriarch Matthew Ashburn acting as head. A widower, he raises his four children - Christina, Ophelia, Florence and Hugo - at the Institute with the help of the long-standing tutor and family friend Iris Clarke. Despite its size, the Brisbane Institute houses very few Shadowhunters, with George Mayweather being the only person outside of the family to train there.
Lima Institute, Peru (Instituto de Lima)
Location: Magdalena del Mar hosts the location of the Lima Institute. It appears from the outside as an elegant Baroque cathedral. Enclosed within high walls covered in creeping vines (which Shadowhunters must climb over to gain access) the building is a towering structure, almost reaching 1,000 feet. It has been said to resemble castles from various fairy tales. Interior and facilities: Inside the Lima Institute, the ceilings are dizzyingly high and made entirely of a crystalline material that fragments light across the walls and floors below. The highest point of the Institute is the botanical garden on the roof, a feature shared by the New York Institute. The triptych of Raziel (in statue form) stands in this garden, positioned so that the light of the rising sun strikes the blade of the Mortal Sword. Administration and residents: The Casaleña family keep charge of the Lima Institute, with Isabel Casaleña the incumbent head. The family is a large and loyal Shadowhunter clan, with many branches living and training together. One member, Nicola Casaleña, married Australian Shadowhunter Matthew Ashburn, securing an allegiance between the Lima and Brisbane Institutes.
The Institute at Alexandria, Egypt (المعهد في الإسكندرية)
Location: The Alexandria Institute is one of the most renowned in the world; located off of the North Egyptian coast, about 4 miles out from the city’s port, the Institute is a vast, fortress-like edifice constructed of a bronze-coloured stone. Shadowhunters are required to walk across the waters of the Mediterranean to get to and from the building. Interior and facilities: Going into the Alexandria Institute is like entering a castle hollowed out from a mountain. The walls and floors are stone, the beams branching across the high ceilings are made of adamas and pillars of witchlight burn throughout the cavernous building. The Institute boasts multiple floors which are reached via a glass staircase that snakes up the walls of the entryway. Administration and residents: The Institute at Alexandria is headed by Darius and Atalia Trueblood, and the wards are tutored by Tamir Murbarak. Due to its prestige, the alumni of the Alexandria Institute is widely unknown, although one of the greatest Shadowhunters of the 17th century, Celeste Morgenstern, trained there.
Hong Kong Institute, China (大學院)
Location: Nestled in the mountains surrounding the south China city, the Hong Kong Institute is a considerably modern architectural feat. Seemingly built into the cliff face of Victoria Peak, the Institute is made from reinforced steel and glass. It has spires made from adamas that can be seen soaring above the forests covering the mountain. Interior and facilities: The contemporary theme continues inside, with granite floors and thick, glass walls. The training room features an impressive mural of legendary Chinese Shadowhunter, Hua Mulan. The library runs around an exotic courtyard garden, the glass walls permitting a view of the tropical Asian flora; the other rooms in the Institute are connected by tree-top walkways. Administration and residents: The Hong Kong Institute is headed by Lì húa Mayweather who oversees the activities of the younger Shadowhunters. Contrary to many Nephilim bases around the world, the Hong Kong Institute has an ever rotating selection of residents that temporarily come from the larger Institutes on the continent, although when they are stationed in the city they are taught by Armand and Periboea ‘Peri’ Lovelace.
