IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A
Abstract
Recent advancements in digital technologies offer new possibilities for preserving and enhancing cultural heritage. In architectural and fine arts restoration, some tools enable precise and non-invasive diagnoses. For example, ultraviolet and infrared rays can read the layering of the works of art and their material composition. In architecture, thermal cameras can distinguish the response of different materials to thermal variations; this allows the reading of the internal structures of monuments without removing any parts. Nowadays, Nautical Heritage benefits from the advantages of new technologies as well. However, in the restoration of wooden boats, new technology is primarily related to virtual modelling and mapping, which illustrate the conservation status. Indeed, the previous diagnostics phase mainly relies on invasive surveys, the only methods capable of providing in-depth analysis but inevitably causing damage. It raises critical questions that need to be addressed. Could new technologies offer non-invasive diagnostic tools? Could existing tools be applied to Nautical Heritage? If so, how? To answer these questions and others, interdisciplinary research is needed. The latter would allow us to explore related and distant sectors and lead to innovative solutions for the nautical field. Therefore, the paper aims to open a new line of research in the field of nautical restoration for defining non-invasive digital mapping and analysis tools. The article will be divided into sections dedicated to the presentation of state-of-the-art diagnostics in nautical restoration, identification of problems through the definition of specific case studies, definition of needs, and conclusions.
Researcher in Design, PhD at the Architecture and Design Department of the University of Genoa. She is a member of the University Centre for the Sea and of the PhD course in Marine Science and Technology at the University of Genoa. Her research focuses on Design for the conservation and enhancement of material and immaterial heritage, naval and nautical design, and the restoration of historic vessels.
Claudia Tacchella – PhD research fellow in Design, and adjunct professor at the Architecture and Design Department of the University of Genoa. She also collaborates with the University of Genoa by providing teaching assistance at the Department of Architecture and Design. Her research concerns the history of shipbuilding and nautical design.
Maria Carola Morozzo della Rocca – Architect and PhD, she is an associate professor and chairman of the Master’s degree course in Naval and Nautical Design at the Department of Architecture and Design, University of Genoa. Her teaching and research focus on product strategy in different contexts. She is a member of the University Centre for the Sea and of the PhD course in Marine Science and Technology at the University of Genoa.
11:45 am - 1:15 pm
Wednesday 25th June, 2025