A key challenge was to strike the right balance between immersive wow-factor and not trying to compete with the Warner Bros Studio Tour. The magic of the objects on display needed to be the star attractions.

The exhibition narrative was based around the curriculum taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: seven subject areas bookended by an introduction and conclusion.

I proposed a simple, tall wrap of ‘library shelf wallpaper’ to unify the experience while dividing the space into clear subject areas. (Photography of the bookshelves in the King’s Library, in the atrium of the British Library, was eventually used for this). Different colour palettes, lighting and props would then differentiate the areas.

The proposed layout also thoughtfully made use of the gallery’s existing mobile table cases and existing wall cases, which were integrated into the overall design with arch and panel overlays. Simple, effective, and fun.

At the time, I envisaged the Defence against the Dark Arts space having the appearance (and maybe smell) of being recently scorched, as if a wizard battle had just taken place. One of the ideas that didn’t make it through.

Below is a mix of sketch ideas, pitch visuals and photos of the final exhibition. Creating ‘moments of magic’ at various scales, and in unexpected ways, was on my mind as I scribbled ideas.

This has apparently been the Library’s most successful exhibition, attracting 170,000 visitors between October 2017 and February 2018, most of whom were visiting the Library for the first time. It was the first major British Library exhibition to be staged in America (New York 2018), and recently at multiple locations in Japan. The exhibition has also been made available online through Google Arts & Culture.