The Application of Virtual Reality Technology in Ancient Garden Restoration

Abstract

Abstract. Most traditional methods of ancient garden restoration are to record with text, charts and graphic drawings and then observe the restoration effect through miniatures or color effect pictures. However, those methods are too inflexible, which cannot reflect the unique artistic conception and steric space of ancient gardens. As an important technology in the computer information age, virtual reality technology is featured with immersion, interaction and imagination. While gardens pay much attention to the experience and feeling of people, which places a high application value on the virtual reality technology in the restoration and scene reconstruction of ancient gardens. Through the analysis of methods and means of virtual reality technology in the restoration of ancient gardens and based on the restoration design of Ancient Lotus Pond Garden, this paper has studied the detailed application methods of virtual reality technology in the restoration of ancient gardens and completed the restoration design of Ancient Lotus Pond Garden. The study shows that human-computer interaction technique allows modern people to experience virtual wandering and scene reappearance in ancient gardens and feel the unique spatial artistic conception of ancient gardens.

Understanding the Lost: Reconstruction of the Garden Design of Villa Peretti Montalto (Rome, Italy) for Urban Valorization

“…The construction of the Termini station at the end of the nineteenth century involved its excavation, leading to the discovery of the walls dating back to the Servian era, which are partially visible today on the Piazza dei Cinquecento . Virtual reality could be used to reconstruct the ancient lost landscape and represent the subsequent steps of landscape transformation as a tourist attraction, as has been performed elsewhere [ 70 , 71 , 72 ]. The use of augmented reality could be an immersive experience that enhances the understanding of the historical and cultural value of the ancient landscape and a tool for the valorization and dissemination of the abovementioned topics [ 70 , 71 , 72 ].…”

Lost Gardens: From Knowledge to Revitalization and Cultural Valorization of Natural Elements

“…These techniques Informative panels and brochures: Informative panels and brochures, which provide information on garden history and a general description of its floral and architectural characteristics, are the basic elements of lost garden valorization [36]. Such tools cannot reflect the artistic conception and steric space of the ancient garden and adding information on philosophical ideas in garden design, as well as current flora and its changes over time could support a better understanding [29]. Here, an informative panel with transparent reconstruction [121,125], or graphic drawings with texts of garden design can be used as a tool for their valorization [29].…”

“…Such tools cannot reflect the artistic conception and steric space of the ancient garden and adding information on philosophical ideas in garden design, as well as current flora and its changes over time could support a better understanding [29]. Here, an informative panel with transparent reconstruction [121,125], or graphic drawings with texts of garden design can be used as a tool for their valorization [29]. For improving the panel representation of the garden, a holographic stand based on 3D visualization, as stressed below, was suggested to give a greater sense of immersion [126].…”

“…These techniques have gradually become the mainstream idea of garden representation and landscape expression [129]. They involve stimulating the three-dimensional space of the garden and its natural environment, generating multiple motion senses via visual (3D visualization), hearing (nature soundscape along with information), touch sensors, and observing garden works from certain angles [29,130], then generating an immersive interactive scene simulation effect [129]. The human-computer interaction technique allows modern people to experience virtual wonderings and scene reappearances in ancient gardens and the evolution during the time and feel the unique spatial artistic conception of ancient gardens (Figure 7) [29,131].…”

“…The gardens (Horti), which adorned the villas of Roman Emperors [20], the private houses of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy [21][22][23][24], or across the European and Mediterranean area (e.g., Thuburbo Maius in Tunisia [21,22], and Ramat Rahel in Israel [25]), are well-known. There is a wide literature on lost gardens, from the Middle Ages to modern times, including the Monumental Timurid Garden in Afghanistan [26], the Wah Garden in Pakistan [27], the Babur's Lotus Garden in India [28], and the Ancient Lotus Pond Garden in China [29]. Recent examples include the lost gardens of Sydney in Australia [30], Ohio's English garden [31], and New Jersey's Stockton gardens in the USA [32].…”