Extended reality and informative models for the architectural heritage: from scan-to-BIM process to virtual and augmented reality

Highlights: The Portes Mordelaises, a 15 th century defensive gate and associated structures, one of the principal historical sites situated in Rennes, France, has been entirely virtually reconstructed in 3D. An original methodology was adopted in order to reconstruct the 3D model of this unique architectural edifice over the course of its six-year excavation. Recognised as being of great national interest, a virtual reality installation was created in an exhibition presenting its reconstruction, garnering more than 45000 visitors. Abstract:The Portes Mordelaises, remnants of the medieval city walls of Rennes, France, has been the subject of several archaeological excavations until 2017. From these excavations, we created a three-dimensional (3D) model of the site reconstructed as it would have appeared during the 15 th century, including the surrounding plus the interiors of its famed towers. Once our efforts and results were officially recognised as being of national interest by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, Department of Heritage and the National Museum Service of France, we presented our virtual model reconstruction in an exhibition curated by the Museum of Bretagne, entitled "Rennes, les vies d'une ville" (Rennes, the Lives of a City). This approach to 3D reconstruction of the site served to further study Rennes' origins, its construction, organisation, as well as its historic relationship to surrounding territories. The main objective of this work was to investigate, using of a significant and complex archaeological site as proof of concept, how the digitalisation of an existing structure, the modelling of its hypothetical structures, and the interactions with its virtual spaces enabled the general public to provide critical feedback, and enhance archaeological knowledge and evaluation of such sites. This reconstruction was carried out under a West Digital Conservatory of Archaeological Heritage project, whose mission is to support and advise archaeologists in the production and exploration of 3D archaeological datasets using the latest digitisation, modelling, and virtual reality (VR) techniques. Through a complex but repeatable process, using the valuable data provided by various excavations, in addition to new information provided by the 3D digitalisation itself, we produced a 3D model, fully satisfactory to rigorous scientific standards, which was then incorporated into a VR space ready for diffusion to the general public. Furthermore, the fact that 45850 visitors were welcome to experience our 3D model at an exhibition in a city the size of Rennes proved to be a significant success. Resumen:Las Portes Mordelaises, restos de las murallas medievales de la ciudad de Rennes, Francia, han sido objeto de varias excavaciones arqueológicas hasta el año 2017. A partir de estas excavaciones, pudimos crear un modelo tridimensional (3D) del sitio reconstruido tal y como habría aparecido durante el siglo XV, incluyendo los terrenos circundantes así como los interiores de sus famosas torres. U...

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Context Of 3d Reproductionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

3D modelling of a 15th century city gate of Rennes: Portes Mordelaises

Barreau

Esnault

Foucher

et al. 2020

“…Specifically, VR and AR have a lot to offer in terms of understanding and promoting cultural heritage: Innovative technologies can shorten the distance between cultural spaces and users, becoming a sustainable tool through which people can enjoy and learn more effectively about culture. Thanks to these technologies the user can experience the artefacts in their original contexts without the need to come into contact with the real objects and can consult in a much more effective way than has previously been possible cultural contents useful for their learning process (Bolognesi & Aiello, 2019;Aiello, Fai & Santagati, 2019, Banfi, Brumana & Stanga 2019, Dhanda et al, 2019.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reliving history: the digital reconstruction of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan

Aiello

Bolognesi²

2020

Can we preserve cultural heritage and, consequently, the memory of the past? To answer this question, one should look at the digital revolution that the world has gone through in recent decades and analyse the complex and the dialectical relationship between cultural heritage and new technologies. Thanks to these, increasingly accurate reconstructions of archaeological sites and historical monuments are possible. The resulting digital replicas are fundamental to experience and understand cultural heritage in innovative ways: they have complex and dynamic relationships with the original objects. This research paper highlights the importance and the scientific validity of digital replicas aimed at understanding, enhancing and protecting cultural heritage. The study focuses on the virtual reconstruction of the constructive phases, from the mid-15th century to date, of one of the most emblematic Gothic-Renaissance buildings in the city of Milan (Italy): the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, famous worldwide for hosting Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper painting. This site proved to be an ideal case study because of its troubled and little-known history that led to numerous changes over the centuries. Thanks to a methodological approach based on the analysis of the documentary sources and three-dimensional (3D) modelling, it was possible to outline the chronological succession of the convent transformations; the way in which these overlapped the pre-existing structures was described starting from the Renaissance harmonious and organic interventions, to finally reach 18th-19th centuries inhomogeneous and incompatible additions. Finally, the research was completed by mapping the 3D models based on the sources used and their different levels of accuracy. The 3D models have thus become a valid tool for checking and verifying the reconstruction hypotheses.Highlights:<ul><li>The study focused on the virtual reconstruction of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, one of the most emblematicGothic-Renaissance buildings in the city of Milan.</li><li>By combining data from documentary sources, architectural treatises, period photos and digital survey, the mainbuilding phases of the convent, from the 15th century to date, were digitally reconstructed.</li><li>The 3D models are enriched with information about the accuracy of the digital reconstruction, creating 3D databasesthat can be easily consulted and updated.</li></ul>

“…Based on the premise that architecture is a unique and revealing frame of inquiry to gain insight into human values, worldview and material culture, this paper aims to address one major issue of current concern. This is to engage the unique method of 4D (four-dimensional) capturing (with the integration of HBIM (Historic Building Information Modelling (Banfi, Brumana, & Stanga, 2019;Carnevali, Lanfranchi, & Russo, 2019;Charbonneau, Spiric, Blais, Robichaud, & Burgess, 2018;Cuperschmid, Fabricio, & Franco, 2019;Doulamis, Doulamis, Protopapadakis, Voulodimos, & Ioannides, 2018;Kyriakaki et al, 2014;Nieto, Moyano, & García, 2019;Rodríguez-Gonzálvez et al, 2017)) and digital dissemination tool for historical research) to document, record and disseminate the complete narrative of the traces of built heritage that are currently lost or partially lost and under threat. It is anticipated that this digital platform, together with a VR/AR application would play a significant role to disseminate knowledge regarding the early Muslims in Australia and their contribution to the Australian society, and minimise the distance between the Muslims and Non-Muslims in Australia through a proper understanding (that has been widely misunderstood for a long time) and mitigate the myth of fear and mistrust regarding Muslim and Islam.…”

Section: Architectural Archaeologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Geospatial platforms and immersive tools for social cohesion: the 4D narrative of architecture of Australia’s Afghan cameleers

Rashid

Antlej

2020

This paper focuses on examining the scope of virtual architectural archaeology in forms of digital geospatial platforms and immersive tools such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to be used for achieving social cohesion, particularly in a multicultural and multi-ethnic society like Australia’s. In the context of the current global and national concern about Muslims and Islam, as well as for the mistrust towards and distance between Muslims and Non-Muslims in Australia, it is imperative to delve deeper into the contribution of early Muslim pioneers, in this case, the Afghan Cameleers, in the social fabric of colonial Australia. Based on the premise that architecture could be a unique and revealing research frame to gain insight into human values, worldview and material culture, the main aim of this paper is to address two key issues using virtual architectural archaeology. Firstly, to demonstrate the application of 4D capturing and component-based modelling with metadata and paradata regarding the past of the lost architectural heritage sites in remote central and western Australia, also counting on assets such as Linked Open Data (LOD) for further dissemination and use. Secondly, to propose a mode to disseminate new knowledge through digital platforms and VR/AR experiences to the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) audiences and schools regarding the Muslims in Australia. Understanding properly them and their contribution to the Australian society would eventually minimise the cultural distance between Muslims and Non-Muslims in Australia. Greater awareness could mitigate the myth of fear and mistrust regarding Muslims and Islam, widely misunderstood for a long time.Highlights:<ul><li>Architectural-archaeological heritage as a tool for achieving social cohesion and to minimise cultural/social differences between Muslims and non-Muslims in Australia.</li><li>4D capturing and digital geospatial platforms for contextualising architectural-archaeological heritage in a spatial and chronological way.</li><li>Gamified and non-gamified Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) applications to engage the general public with architectural-archaeological heritage from remote, hard-to-access areas.</li></ul>