Digitalization of cultural heritage’s tangible & intangible dimensions

The paper aims at discussing the advantages and challenges of the digitalization of the Cultural Heritage. Within the application field, historical and cultural sites are recognized as keepers of traditions and values, which run the risk of extinction due to the fast growing phenomenon of globalization. This essay presents an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the Building Information Model (BIM) as a dynamic, graphic, and multidimensional platform for the management of the tangible and intangible attributes of the Cultural Heritage and for the generation and dissemination of culturally nuanced information related to materials, the state of conservation and the methods of construction. This paper analyses BIM’s potencial when it is applied to new fields such as the Cultural Heritage, its documentation, conservation and management. In addition, it disusses the connection of BIM with the Geographic Information System (GIS) in a multi-scaled approach. The integrated use of these Spatial Information Systems allows us to disclose and explore, new dimensions at an architectural and territorial scale, such as the dimension of time (4D) and of the intangibility of the Cultural Heritage. The integration of these Spatial Information Systems - GIS and BIM - would support the documentation and conservation process. In addition, it would be able to communicate historical, religious and cultural values to current and future generations. These values are intrinsically connected to the Built Heritage. GIS and BIM can provide a platform for the creation of new meanings stemming from the interaction of different users and stakeholders engaged in its preservation and enhancement

Chapter Rappresentare la ricerca: metodi e strategie di comunicazione visiva in ambito museale

The 43rd UID conference, held in Genova, takes up the theme of ‘Dialogues’ as practice and debate on many fundamental topics in our social life, especially in these complex and not yet resolved times. The city of Genova offers the opportunity to ponder on the value of comparison and on the possibilities for the community, naturally focused on the aspects that concern us, as professors, researchers, disseminators of knowledge, or on all the possibile meanings of the discipline of representation and its dialogue with ‘others’, which we have broadly catalogued in three macro areas: History, Semiotics, Science / Technology. Therefore, “dialogue” as a profitable exchange based on a common language, without which it is impossible to comprehend and understand one another; and the graphic sign that connotes the conference is the precise transcription of this concept: the title ‘translated’ into signs, derived from the visual alphabet designed for the visual identity of the UID since 2017. There are many topics which refer to three macro sessions: - Witnessing (signs and history) - Communicating (signs and semiotics) - Experimenting (signs and sciences) Thanks to the different points of view, an exceptional resource of our disciplinary area, we want to try to outline the prevailing theoretical-operational synergies, the collaborative lines of an instrumental nature, the recent updates of the repertoires of images that attest and nourish the relations among representation, history, semiotics, sciences

Digital workflow for the conservation of Bahrain built heritage: The sheik ISA bin Ali house

Currently, the commercial market offers several tools for digital documentation of historic sites and buildings. Photogrammetry and laser scanning play a fundamental role in the acquisition of metric information, which is then processed to generate reliable records particularly useful also in the built heritage conservation field. Although potentially very fast and accurate, such techniques require expert operators to produce reliable results, especially in the case of complex and large sites. The aim of this paper is to present the digital workflow developed for data acquisition and processing of the Shaikh Isa Bin Ali house in Muharraq, Bahrain. This historic structure is an outstanding example of Bahrain architecture as well as tangible memory of the country history, with strong connotations in the Bahrain cultural identity. The building has been documented employing several digital techniques, including: Aerial (drone) and terrestrial photogrammetry, rectifying photography, total station and laser scanning. The documentation project has been developed for the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) by a multidisciplinary team of experts from Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS, Carleton University, Canada) and Gicarus Lab (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)

Representation of Landscape and Ecological Vision in Miyazaki’s Filmography

This study analyzes the central role of landscape in Hayao Miyazaki’s films. The depiction of landscape in Miyazaki’s films goes beyond mere visual backdrops in order to convey deep symbolic meanings and to foster an empathic connection between the viewer and the world depicted. The renowned Japanese animator, filmmaker, screenwriter, draftsman, manga artist and film director has strongly promoted environmental awareness in his productions by paying close attention to the depiction and visualization of landscape dynamics, using details, and real and invented elements to create an engaging visual experience. The landscapes also take on emotional, metaphorical dimensions, reflecting the emotions and inner thoughts of the characters. Through an in-depth critical analysis of eleven selected films, the proposed research identifies the character-defining elements adopted by Miyazaki to stimulate reflection on a sustainable combination between urban development and the preservation of natural elements, as well as increasing focus on the beauty of the landscape, thereby highlighting the importance of its preservation. The relevance of this research is to understand Miyazaki’s approach to creating representations of natural elements and how he has managed to combine them with the plots of his various films, indirectly stimulating environmental awareness and fascination with nature in its different forms. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/20/1513

Re-contextualizing the standing Sekhmet statues in the Temple of Ptah at Karnak through digital reconstruction and VR experience

Recent trends in the Digital Humanities – conceived as new modalities of collaborative, transdisciplinary and computational research and presentation – also strongly influence research approaches and presentation practices in museums. Indeed, ongoing projects in museums have considerably expanded digital access to data and information, documentation and visualization of ancient ruins and objects. In addition, 3D modelling and eXtended Reality opened up new avenues of interacting with a wider public through digital reconstructions that allow both objects and sites to be presented through visual narratives based on multidisciplinary scholarly research. The article illustrates the use of 3D digital reconstruction and virtual reality to recontextualise standing statues of Sekhmet in the Temple of Ptah at Karnak, where they were found in 1818. Today, they are on display at Museo Egizio, Turin. The theoretical framework of the research and the operational workflow – based on the study of the available archaeological, textual, and pictorial data – is presented here

Toward a holistic heritage conservation

Many scholars have already underlined the importance and the complexity of the different components of the historic urban landscape. The UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape – adopted at the General Conference on November 2011 – went beyond the notion of ‘historic centre’ and extended its application to the broader urban context and the geographical setting. Presenting the case of Caserma “Cascino” in Cagliari, the paper outlines a methodology for heritage conservation in urban contexts. The project offers a holistic approach to the conservation process. Through two main phases, it describes the employed innovative features in terms of strategies and technologies adopted for each one. The first phase focused on the understanding of the existing building complex, consisted of: a.) the historical analysis of the building, its urban context and the connection with the geographic landscape, in order to understand the cultural and social significance of the site, and b.) the documentation project to define geometry, structure, color and spatial configuration of the building, in order to determine the character defining elements and the current condition of the structure. The second phase focused on the conservation of the site, including condition repair, structural reinforcement and consolidation, and adaptive-reuse. Knowledge gained from the previous phase, in combination with issues of authenticity and reversibility, laid the groundwork for the development of the appropriate intervention strategies

La digitalizzazione dell’archivio fotografico del Museo Egizio: strategie di interpretazione e comunicazione - The Digitization of the Photographic Archive of Museo Egizio: Strategies of Interpretation and Communication

The article presents the study, interpretation and organization process of the photographic archive of the Museo Egizio, Torino to support research and dissemination. Within this framework, the digitization process played a crucial role designing customized documentation and representation strategies to implement the consultation and management of the museum archive. This article highlights the role of the archive as historical memory able to communicate the transformations of methods and techniques for the documentation and representation between the XIX and the XX century. The archive provides information on the excavation process, as well as on the survey and representation tools. This material allows a better understanding and a correct interpretation of the documents produced in a given historical period on specific buildings, by allowing the identification of interventions of restoration and reconstruction, as well as displacement and excavations. The management of the digitized archive material was implemented thanks to a dedicated software, which automated and streamlined the work. The publication of the photographic archive was achieved through the customized web platform “The Photographic Archive of Museo Egizio”. In this process, the role of representation discipline has been fundamental in investigating, interpreting and communicating this rich and little-known archive, activating further knowledge processes that may enrich our understanding of cultural heritage

CULTURAL BUILT HERITAGE'S TANGIBLE & INTANGIBLE DIMENSIONS AND DIGITALIZATION CHALLENGES

This research is based on the ongoing debate on the strengths and challenges brought about by the so-called ‘digital revolution' in the field of the conservation of Cultural Built Heritage. Within this framework, this study analyses how the dynamic relationship between tangible and intangible heritage strongly affects the values of a site with consequent repercussions on the impacts of these values on conservation choices and actions. The complex relationships between tangible and intangible dimensions of cultural heritage have been, until recently, surprisingly underestimated in scientific research. A possible explanation lies in the limited amount of multidimensional and interdisciplinary approaches applied by scholars of different disciplines, often interested in more sectorial analysis of either the tangible or the intangible dimensions of cultural built heritage. The research moves in the direction of integrating such dimensions through a comprehensive approach. The project aims at demonstrating that an understanding of the role of intangible dimensions of built heritage can orient the conservation process, moving towards a more inclusive approach based on the respect for different context-based perspectives and interpretations of the cultural dimensions of heritage conservation, preservation and restoration

3D modelling in Architecture: from tangible to virtual model

Models as useful tools within architecture practice have been used for centuries. While information about their use before Hellenistic civilization is limited, we have evidence to suggest that ancient Greek society used models in their architectural practice. This trend continued until the Renaissance. After this period this trend began to decline as a result of the influential theories presented by Galileo Galilei, who demonstrated how models cannot provide a reliable structural assessment. Current practice is once again embracing the use of 3D modeling, even if not in the tangible form rather in the virtual and digital form. Tangible and virtual 3D models used by architects have changed in type, scope and function. They play different roles within the design processes and in the project management in both new and existing architecture. The paper presents an overview of the ethical and practical dimension of models along history and their roles in architectural practice. The analysis of the historical transformations, in particular of the legacy of Leon Battista Alberti theories and thoughts, inspires some reflections on the current applications of 3D virtual models and on their role in the design as well in the construction phase. To gain awareness of the current uses of the virtual 3D models and their further possible developments, an overview of the transformation of the tangible models within the design processes along history will be provided. Keywords