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Explore the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Art Department | What to see, highlights & more

Step behind the camera at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to explore the Harry Potter Art Department. This creative hub served as the architectural heart of the wizarding world.

Discover the Harry Potter Art Department

Slytherin common room set at Harry Potter™ Warner Bros. Studio Tour.

The Harry Potter Art Department was the birthplace of every visual element you see on screen. Spanning over a decade of production from 1999 to 2011, this collection showcases the evolution of the films through thousands of technical drawings, hand-painted concept art, and intricate white card models. Visitors can expect to see the transition from raw imagination to physical reality, featuring everything from the initial sketches of the Golden Snitch to the massive, blueprinted floor plans of the Ministry of Magic. It offers a rare look at the meticulous craftsmanship required to build a cinematic universe from scratch.

Harry Potter Art Department | What to look out for

The collection is categorised into several distinct disciplines that worked in harmony to create the lived-in feel of the Wizarding World:

Technical drawings & blueprints

Detailed architectural plans used by construction teams to build massive sets like the Great Hall and Dumbledore's office.

Concept art

Atmospheric paintings and sketches that established the mood, lighting, and colour palette for iconic locations.

White card models

Precise scale models made of paper and card used by directors to plan camera angles and spatial layouts before filming.

Graphic design

Every newspaper, book cover, and product label, created largely by the duo MinaLima, that added layers of authenticity to the world.

Scale models

Massive, highly detailed miniature constructions used for sweeping exterior shots of the landscapes and buildings.

Sets and props designed by the Harry Potter Art Department

Hogwarts castle model in snow at The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour, Tokyo.
Kulnari Mystery Golf blueprint with intricate design details.
White card miniature model of a city street with buildings and crosswalks.
Diagon Alley Harry Potter Warner Bros
Hogwarts Express train on platform at Harry Potter London tour.
Visitors exploring Diagon Alley during a small group guided tour of Harry Potter in London.
Potions classroom set from Harry Potter tour in London.
Dumbledore's office set at Harry Potter Studio Tour London with books and phoenix.
Shrunken heads in a window at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Diagon Alley, Orlando.
Great Hall at Harry Potter™ Warner Bros. Studio, long tables, stone arches, and costumes displayed.
Magnifying glass on an old world map highlighting India.
Ministry of Magic exhibit at Harry Potter Visions of Magic Tokyo with magical symbols.
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Hogwarts Castle model

Built by 86 artists, this scale model was used for Hogwarts’ exterior shots, originally created for Philosopher’s Stone. It includes 2,500 fibre optic lights, real gravel and landscaping, and took thousands of hours of work over several films to complete and update.

When: 2001

The Great Hall blueprints

This fully built set includes hand-carved stone walls, enchanted ceiling elements and custom props like Dumbledore’s lectern and the elaborate House Points Counter. The intricate level of detail included so many Indian glass beads that it reportedly caused a temporary nationwide shortage.

Artist: Stuart Craig
When: 1999
Where: Architectural corridor of the Art Department section

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White card Gringotts

With marble pillars, crystal chandeliers and over 210,000 coins crafted for its scenes, Gringotts exemplifies luxurious set-building. Authentic quills, ledgers and inkwells give this set a lived-in, opulent atmosphere that matches its magical narrative.

Artist: Art Department
When: 2011
Where: Model-making display section

Diagon Alley

Lined with wizard shops like Ollivanders and Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, Diagon Alley features 120 uniquely designed products and detailed storefronts. The towering mannequin outside the joke shop took over three months to construct.

Artists: Miraphora Mina & Eduardo Lima
Where: Diagon Alley set

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The Hogwarts Express and Platform 9¾

This section includes the train, track and platform where the trolley disappears through the wall. Each carriage and compartment replicates key scenes with high fidelity to the original Art Department design.

Artist: Art Department
Year: 2015 (Studio display)
Where: Platform 9¾ section

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Dolores Umbridge’s office

This pastel-toned office at the Ministry includes 130 hand-designed kitten plates. Every decorative item in the set supports Umbridge’s characterisation, showing how set design was used for storytelling.

Artist: Art Department
Year: 2007
Where: The Ministry of Magic sets

The Potions Classroom

​Snape’s classroom holds over 950 jars filled with hand-crafted contents. Labels were designed by graphic duo MinaLima and applied to each item by hand to ensure consistency and character-specific detail throughout the set.

Artists: Miraphora Mina & Eduardo Lima
When: 2001
Where: The Potions Classroom set

Dumbledore’s memory cabinet

The cabinet displays around 900 memory vials with unique designs. Each one was individually labelled and stored in intricate arrangements, adding depth to scenes featuring the Pensieve and showcasing the department’s eye for detail.

Artist: Art Department
Year: 2005
Where: Dumbledore’s office set

Death Eater mask etchings

Each mask reflects the wearer’s personality and was etched by hand. These masks are now displayed to highlight the craftsmanship behind one of the series’ most ominous visual elements.

Artist: Sculpture Department
When: 2005
Where: The Dark Arts area

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Puking Pastilles dispenser

A standout item from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, this dispenser balances humour with grotesque charm. It perfectly captures the mischief of Fred and George and adds theatricality to the joke shop’s design.

Artist: Art Department
Year: 2009
Where: Diagon Alley

The Marauder’s Map

An intricate magical map created for Prisoner of Azkaban, with hand-lettered calligraphy on aged parchment, featuring moving footprints and hidden layers that reveal every secret corridor of Hogwarts.

Artist: Graphic Design Team
When: 2004

Ministry of Magic concept art

Atmospheric sketches defining the massive scale of the Ministry, utilising dark, glossy textures and subterranean lighting to establish the oppressive, bureaucratic mood of the wizarding government in the Order of the Phoenix.

Artist: Andrew Williamson
Year: 2007
Where: Conceptual art gallery

What was the Art Department’s role in the Harry Potter films?

What they did

The Harry Potter Art Department was responsible for the visual identity of the films. They created the look of locations, props and environments, working long before the cameras rolled, translating scripts into sketches and floor plans.

Examples of their work

This team designed iconic spaces like the Ministry of Magic, Gringotts, the Great Hall, Hagrid’s Hut and the classrooms in Hogwarts. They also developed hundreds of props, from the Marauder’s Map to the Triwizard Cup!

How they differed from other departments

Unlike the Special Effects team, which handled movement and action, or Set Decoration, which styled finished sets, the Art Department focused on design and planning before anything was built or filmed.

Notable figures of the Harry Potter Art Department

Stuart Craig

The Academy Award-winning Production Designer who defined the look of all eight Harry Potter films.

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Stephenie McMillan

The visionary Set Decorator who worked alongside Craig to fill the sets with magical detail.

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Neil Lamont

A key Art Director who helped bridge the gap between technical drawings and physical set construction.

Miraphora Mina

One half of the MinaLima duo responsible for the series’ iconic graphic identity.

Eduardo Lima

The graphic artist who co-created everything from the Daily Prophet to Chocolate Frog wrappers.

Frequently asked questions about the Harry Potter Art Department

The collection features a vast array of creative media, including hand-drawn architectural blueprints, atmospheric concept paintings, digital renderings, and white card scale models. It also highlights the intricate graphic design work seen in the films' newspapers and posters.