A virtual diorama. Mapping archives in situ at places of cultural significance

Abstract

Using the wooden church of Södra Råda as a case study, this article concerns new applications of technology to contextualise and activate archive material in situ at places of cultural significance. Using a combination of augmented reality and virtual reality, we describe a process of turning historical photographs and two-dimensional reconstruction drawings into three-dimensional virtual models that can be lined up to a physical space. The leading questions for our investigation concern how archive material can be contextualised, and how the result may be made accessible in situ and contribute to place development. The result of this research suggests possibilities for using historical photographs to faithfully reconstruct lost historical spaces as three-dimensional surfaces that contextualise documentation and offer spatial information.