VIRTUAL London Heritages Conference

Abstract

This paper describes a project that integrates technology and design within the context of cultural heritage at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. Hearst Castle was designed by Julia Morgan in the early 20th c. She was the first woman to graduate from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in Architecture, and California’s first licensed female Architect. This project is testing a methodology for M-BIM – a Building Information Model of the architecture with integrated digital models of each Museum artifact – as the basis for the use of interactive technologies on-site. The ‘digital twin’ of the building and artifacts also supports resilience in the face of climate change – providing detailed evidence of the heritage elements in the case of damage or destruction. A permanent exhibit in the Visitor Center will use this digital model to focus on the façade as a collage of antiquities from a variety of eras and geographical locations. The exhibit will enhance visitor experience by producing detailed scaled models with video and audio overlays for a multi-sensory engagement with the cultural site. The facade features Gothic European antiquities acquired by Hearst, including 15th century Spanish Wildmen. The approved exhibit design includes a full-scale Wildman and two building models – a façade model at a larger scale to highlight the decontextualized elements of the façade, and a complete building model at a smaller scale to feature in the ‘touch’ room of the museum. This room supports people with visual impairments, children, and anyone who learns by engaging tactile exhibits.