Johnston Houston received instructions from Linen Mill Studios Limited in 2018 to provide Project Services in connection with this major £30m development project to reconfigure the existing Linen Mill Studios to accommodate a new world class visitors attraction. This project brings the world-famous story to life via an interactive studio tour, reusing many of the best known sets and characters from the HBO TV drama which used Linen Mill Studios for much of the filming in Northern Ireland.

Johnston Houston led a multi-disciplinary design team in collaboration with HBO though its California based tour designers, Mina Lima to ensure that a deeply immersive visitors experience could be achieved comprising imagery, sets, original props, costumes and many behind-the-scene items.

The project included the construction of an off site Park and Ride facility and associated Kiosk, significant road infrastructure improvements and a major redevelopment and renovation of the existing Linen Mill Studios complex.

This project was delivered using a traditional standard form building contract with sub-contractor packages tendered through the main contractor, Farrans Construction. Despite the challenges of project delivery during Covid restrictions, the visitors attraction was completed in December 2021 and opened to the public the following Easter. Johnston Houston are delighted to have successfully completed project delivery for Linen Mill Studios Ltd to ensure that there is a lasting legacy for Northern Ireland following the end of the series. Game of Thrones has had an enormous positive impact for Northern Ireland and the creation of this world class attraction has strategic importance, and leaves a positive legacy for the area and wider region.