Virtual Reality:

Digital technology has the potential to change the way architectural history is presented and perceived. A primary premise of this book is that to properly represent and research architectural historical reconstructions, two aspects of the object of study should be examined: the physical and the cultural identity of the structure or site. The most effective tool for the representation of both these two aspects is virtual reality. The research begins by assessing the advantages and the challenges of using VR methodology for architectural reconstructions. The topics explored include concrete techniques of incorporating and representing the cultural identity of a site into the digital architectural model. The concepts are evaluated through the example of a case study: the reconstruction of a Jewish site in Thessaloniki, Greece in the first half of the 20th century. Based on this research, at issue are the impact such a methodology has on collective memory the responsibilities of scholars and institutions that create such reconstructions.

Autorentext

Architect Rebeka Vital holds a Diploma in Architecture, a Masters in Building Sciences (USC) and a PhD in Architecture (UCLA). At UCLA she was involved with ETC, a research lab that focused on virtual reality reconstructions. Rebeka has been involved in teaching at UCLA, USC, Woodbury University, Pasadena City College and Shenkar, Israel.