From Dreamtime to QuickTime: The Resurgence of the 360-Degree Panoramic View as a Form of Computer-Synthesised Architectural Representation.

Abstract

The conference theme ‘eternity, infinity and virtuality’ may be considered in terms of time, space and the other. One form of representation that captures all three of these fundamental dimensions, at a glance, is the 360-degree panorama, a medium that is currently making a comeback in the architectural studio. This paper explores the use of the computer-synthesised panorama as a means of representing architectural space and landscape experience, and as a method of informing the design. The panoramic mural is differentiated from two subcategories of QTVR panorama, the subjective and the objective. The use of panoramic views enable landscape architecture students to design using a 2D image format which can be rendered to provide a 3D spatial effect. In summary, the paper contends that the process of design, in architectural practice and in architectural education, is significantly enhanced by the dynamic representations of time and/or space offered by the computer-synthesised panorama.