The research focuses on the San Pietro restaurant in Genoa, a significant example of rationalist architecture designed by Mario Labò between 1935 and 1938. The building, characterized by large windows and reinforced concrete terraces, integrated internal and external spaces in a unique relationship with the coastal landscape. Although partially demolished in the 1960s because of the needs of new infrastructure, the restaurant maintains a symbolic and historical value. Through digital technologies, such as 3D modelling and mixed reality, a refunctionalization is proposed that restores memory and meaning to this building and its urban context. The use of digital tools allows the creation of immersive hybrid panoramas that combine historical sources, reliefs and iconographic materials. This interdisciplinary methodology not only reconstructs the original qualities of the building, but also highlights the transformations that have occurred over time, allowing the dialogue between past, present and future to be explored. The Foce area, currently still evolving, is analysed to narrate its history, interpret its present and imagine its future. The project is configured as a replicable model, demonstrating how the integration between innovative technologies and historical narratives can enhance cultural heritage and stimulate reflection on the role of architecture in contemporary cities. The virtual reconstruction thus becomes a digital “window”, capable of raising awareness among a wide audience, encouraging new ways of enjoying and understanding the architectural heritage.
A Gnomonic Hole Sundial Between Reality and Simulation
This paper explores the integration of physical heritage visits with digital technologies through the case of the eighteenth-century gnomonic hole sundial located in the University Palace of Genoa. The study proposes a hybrid strategy combining on-site experience, panoramic photography, photogrammetric modelling, multimedia virtual tours, and augmented reality to communicate the scientific and historical value of the instrument. Since the original gnomonic hole is no longer preserved and the room currently serves other institutional functions, digital tools are used to simulate the sundial’s operation and improve public accessibility. The MultiPano platform incorporates 360° environments, texts, subtitles, audio descriptions, videos, drawings, and 3D visualizations tailored to different user needs, including remote visitors and people with sensory disabilities. QR-code activated AR content further enriches the on-site visit by showing solar ray simulations and explaining the astronomical functioning of the device. The research demonstrates how digital mediation can reactivate hidden scientific heritage while balancing preservation, accessibility, and education.
The Appearance of KeplerianPolyhedra in an Illusory Architecture
The illusion of ancient frescoes takes on a new form through the methods offered by digital technol-ogies. This contribution deals with the representation of a geometric solid in the decoration of the Room of Leda in Palazzo Balbi Senarega in Genoa: this is the small stellated dodecahedron described by Johannes Kepler in 1619. An in–depth documentary and iconographic research has allowed us to prove that this is the first perspective representation of this solid which took place about thirty–five years after its discovery. The aim is to investigate and illustrate in a communicative, but not simplifying way, the connections between an example of Genoese decoration and the wider seventeenth–cen-tury milieu, which features artists, scientists, and generous patrons with their unsung brides.