IN-PERSON: Prague – Section A
Abstract
InterArch is an ongoing research project that is running since 2020. It aims to propose the design of a site-based digital application, for archaeological sites and outdoor guided tours, supporting virtual and augmented reality technology. The case study refers to Ancient Messene, one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. The research project is co‐financed by the European Union and Greek national funds. It involves mutual collaboration between academic and cultural institutions and the contribution of an IT company. The applied research project integrates an interactive approach to the natural environment, aiming at a manifold sensory experience. The application design combines the physical space with the digital space of archaeological and cultural data through a storytelling process. Presenting the archaeological finds, various narrations familiarize the user to multiple semantic interpretations. At the same time, mingling the real-world environment with its digital and cultural components, by using augmented reality techniques, could potentially transform the on-site visit, into an immersive multimodal sensory experience. To this purpose, an extensive spatial analysis along with a detailed evaluation of the existing digital and non-digital archives is proposed, intending to correlate natural landscape morphology (including archaeological material remains and environmental characteristics), with the extensive historical records and cultural digital data. A field survey was carried out, during which visitors’ itineraries were monitored and tracked throughout the archaeological visit, using GPS locators. Mapping the sequence of their routes and the duration of their stay at each location, illustrates visitor’s interaction with the archaeological findings and furthermore provides our project with a spatial assessment framework, useful for detecting the different instances through which historical and cultural descriptions could emerge.
Amalia-Maria Konidi, Architect and Researcher. MSc Department of Architecture, Protection of Monuments, Conservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings and Sites, NTUA. Member of the Council of Architectural Heritage of the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage.
Eleni Maistrou, Architect, Emeritus Professor, School of Architecture, NTUA. Scientific Supervisor of the research project InterArch. Specialization in legislation and management of monuments, the protection, design and management of historical buildings and sites or complexes. Member of the scientific committee and Professor in the post-graduate specialization course: “Conservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings and Sites” of NTUA. President of the Council of Architectural Heritage of the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage. Member of the scientific committee of Icomos for the Conservation of Historic Cities and Villages (CIVVIH).
Petros Themelis, Archaeologist, Emeritus Professor, Former curator of antiquities. PhD from Archaeological Institute at the University of Munich. Chairman of the Society of Messenian Archaeological Studies. Runs the excavation and restoration project in ancient Messene, for which endeavours he was awarded two Europa Nostra awards. Lifetime-member of the Archaeological Society at Athens, corresponding member of the Archaeological Institute of America, member of the Society of Euboean Studies, of the German Archaeological Institute, of the Austrian Archaeological Institute, member of the Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments, and Vice-President of the Centre for the Study of Modern Pottery – G. Psaropoulos Foundation. He was honored with the Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Phoenix by the President of the Hellenic Republic, for his teaching, research and excavation works.
Karolina Anna Maria Moretti, Architect and Researcher. MSc & Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Architecture, Architecture – Spatial Design, Research in Architecture: Architectural Design – Space – Culture, NTUA. Member of the International Urban Symposium – IUS.
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Friday 30th June, 2023