Digital Reconstruction of Historic Buildings by Developing a Virtual 3D Environment

As urbanization and modernization accelerate, the importance of protecting our cultural heritage becomes more pronounced. While beneficial in many ways, these developments also threaten the legacy we inherited from previous generations. Our historic architectural wonders, once the pride of our communities, now stand at the mercy of time and neglect. However, as modern problems require modern solutions, the transformative power of digital tools in cultural heritage preservation offers a glimmer of hope. This thesis delves into the digital reconstruction of historic buildings, using the development of 3D virtual environments as a tool. With a specific focus on the case study of the church of Santa Croce, in Ravenna, the project underscores the vital role of modern digital tools in cultural heritage preservation. It offers innovative ways to study, engage, and educate the public about this historic structure. The process involves digitizing historical architectural documents, creating detailed 3D models, and ultimately implementing these models in immersive virtual reality (VR) environments. The research highlights the methodological steps undertaken, starting from digitizing architectural documents left of the church, moving through the creation of 3D models representing various construction phases, to the final development of a virtual environment that allows exploration and encourages interaction.