The paper illustrates the didactic activity of the introductory seminar Inside the Museum, held since 2021 for the master’s degree courses of the Department of Architecture and Design (DAD) at the Politecnico di Torino. The paper describes the innovative character undertaken during the seminar and how it has evolved in parallel with the digital transition that has affected education and cultural heritage. The central theme of the seminar is the relationship between digital technologies and museum institutions, which was investigated according to a multidisciplinary approach involving the disciplines of drawing and representation, together with the themes of exhibit design and museography addressed through Extended Reality as the communicative medium of the project design. The main applications used for the teaching activity were web-based tools for creating virtual, immersive, and augmented reality experiences. Video storytelling, a passive entertainment-oriented product, 360° virtual tours allowing interactive enjoyment, and HeritageMaps, used for developing interactive maps with georeferenced content, were addressed. Starting from low-cost and sustainable web-based solutions, the latest activities experimented with the customization of AR applications using Unity and Vuforia Engine tools.
Virtual Reconstruction, Museography, and VR/AR Communication in Design for Heritage
Il contributo presenta un progetto didattico multidisciplinare focalizzato sulla ricostruzione virtuale e la comunicazione museografica di un ambiente di Villa Adriana. Attraverso rilievo digitale (fotogrammetria con camere 360°), analisi geometrica e modellazione 3D basata su fonti storiche (in particolare Palladio), vengono sviluppate diverse ipotesi ricostruttive. Tali modelli sono successivamente utilizzati per la progettazione di esperienze immersive in realtà virtuale e aumentata, finalizzate sia alla fruizione remota sia al supporto alla visita in situ. Il lavoro integra approcci scientifici e interpretativi, evidenziando il ruolo delle tecnologie XR nella valorizzazione e comunicazione del patrimonio archeologico.
3D Outputs for an Archeological Site: The Priene Theater
This paper presents an integrated methodological workflow for the digital acquisition, reconstruction, and dissemination of an archaeological site, focusing on the Priene Theater. The research combines photogrammetric survey techniques, historical documentation, and interpretative modeling to generate both reality-based and hypothetical 3D reconstructions.
The methodology includes UAV and terrestrial image acquisition, point cloud generation, and subsequent segmentation and modeling processes. As illustrated in the data processing pipeline (Fig. 3, p. 628), dense point clouds are transformed into textured 3D models, which are then interpreted through comparison with archival sources to produce a reconstructed hypothesis of the theater. The study further explores visualization strategies, including web-based platforms, virtual reality environments, and preliminary augmented reality tests, addressing challenges related to model complexity, data optimization, and accessibility. Results highlight the potential of digital workflows to enhance the understanding and dissemination of archaeological heritage, while emphasizing the trade-off between geometric accuracy and usability in lightweight, web-oriented applications.
Data Modelling in Architecture: Digital Architectural Representations
Digital Architectural Representations represent the most fruitful field of research of the last decade. Digital technologies and the use of internet in architectural representation shows how 3D visualization combined with storytelling can help to spread scientific knowledge over the web. These new technol-ogies also affect the way of thinking 3D models, how to design them and how to build their related knowledge with the purpose of future reuse of information and data.The paper is focused on the analysis of current methodologies and workflows for data modelling in Architecture to better understand the potential of using standards in the 3D modelling sector with a focus on cultural and architectural heritage.