The wanton destruction of significant cultural sites in the Near East by ISIS terrorists remind us how important it is to preserve—at least digitally—these symbols of cultural consciousness for future generations and to make them accessible to the general public. There are several crews equipped with 3-D laser technology traveling the world to scan in statues, buildings or entire architectural ensembles and thus preserve these priceless cultural treasures for posterity. The results of these efforts are huge quantities of points—so-called point clouds—that can be displayed as three-dimensional visualizations. Deep Space 8K now lets visitors behold virtual reconstructions of historical sites in 3-D and walk through them in the truest sense of the word. This is made possible by a point cloud renderer & viewer that Roland Aigner of the Ars Electronica Futurelab specially enhanced for 8K image resolution.
The Scottish Ten
The Scottish Ten is a five-year project that aims to create extraordinarily precise digital models of the five UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites located in Scotland and five heritage sites in other countries. To accomplish this, Historic Scotland, the nation’s heritage agency, and the Glasgow School of Art’s Digital Design Studio established the Centre for Digital Documentation and Visualisation LLP. In Deep Space 8K, visitors can see a Stone Age settlement named Skara Brae, the monumental chambered tomb of Maeshowe, and New Lanark, one of the first cotton spinning mills.
CyArk
CyArk is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving humankind’s precious cultural heritage. In cooperation with CyArk, Ars Electronica presents scans of the ancient Maya city of Tikal in Guatemala, the cathedral of Beauvais, France, the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park in the U.S., and St. Sebald, a medieval church in Nürnberg, Germany.
Rome´s Invisible City in 3D: A BBC Film
Rome’s Invisible City in 3D is a BBC film made in collaboration with ScanLAB Projects. It uses ultra-high-definition, colour scanning to precisely capture a 3D pointcloud of streets, buildings and hidden underground spaces in vivid detail. This allows you to explore one of the greatest cities on earth in a way that has never been possible before. It will take you far below the surface of Rome to discover an incredible subterranean world of mines, sewers and aqueducts. This is the underground world that powered this ancient city. See in close-up the secret temple where a mysterious cult once met. Discover wall paintings in shadowy catacombs where the Roman dead were laid to rest. This is an extraordinary chance to explore some of the mysterious places that helped build and sustain the Roman Empire.
Rome’s Invisible City in 3D: A BBC Film
Narrator: David Olusoga
3D Graphics: ScanLAB Projects: Matthew Shaw, William Trossell
Music: Ty Unwin
Sound mix: Gregg Gettens
Off-line Editor: Fraser Rose
Assistent Producers: Thomas Parker, Sophie Reid
Production Manager: Amanda Robinson
Executive Producer: Chris Granlund
