An Institute is a safe house for Shadowhunters. They are found in all large cities and are often located in churches. The entire point of an Institute is to lodge and assist Shadowhunters from around the world in their quest to kill demons.
An Institute is a place for Shadowhunters to find safety in the event of danger. It is a stronghold for the Shadowhunters that live there. The hallowed ground prevents vampires from entering. The bricks have been blessed with deceased Shadowhunter blood, that in and of itself being a powerful protection. Every metal rod is made out of iron and nail silver, protecting against faeries and werewolves respectively. In addition, the doors cannot be opened without Shadowhunter blood, thereby stopping anyone but a Shadowhunter from entering. Also, it is glamoured. Any mundane that looks upon an Institute would see nothing but, for example, a rundown church.
Inside an Institute, there are many amenities that are the same. An Institute is supposed to be lived in. Therefore, it has a kitchen. These kitchens are quite large and well put together. There’s also a formal dining room, able to seat over two hundred comfortably. Additionally, in the residential wings, there are over two hundred bedrooms. These rooms are always open to Shadowhunters that wish to take up residence there. They all have an infirmary to heal injured Shadowhunters. There is a library filled with books always open for the Shadowhunters’ use.
There’s also a training room. Shadowhunters are at liberty to enter the training room and develop their fighting skills at any given time. There are usually beams along the ceiling to allow Shadowhunters to practice flips, and a locker room attached to the training room for the Shadowhunters to store spare clothes while they train. Additionally, there’s an armory filled with all sorts of weapons. They have everything from bows to seraph blades at the disposal of the Shadowhunters.
Outside of the hallowed ground is the Sanctuary. This area is purposely put outside the hallowed ground for meetings with Downworlders. Vampires and demons cannot enter hallowed ground. Therefore, the Sanctuary is the meeting place with downworlders and the holding cells of demons that are being interrogated.
