Temple complex ‘Virtual Nako’ – 3D Visualisation of cultural heritage in Google Earth

Abstract

The preservation of cultural heritage and the communication of its vital importance for modern society represent an increasing and demanding challenge for the scientific community. Due to the occurrence of cultural objects in geographic space and time, cartographers are questioned, amongst others, to deal with new forms of geo-visualisation. These new visualisations improve communication between scientists and a broad audience by facilitating a more efficient information exchange. A national research network gave the setting for cartographers at the University of Vienna to develop and implement a Google Earth 3D visualisation of a Buddhist temple complex built during the early second millennium. This paper describes the efforts of the national research network and the preceding research and preservation project, which led to a detailed conception for the digital reconstruction of the sacred temples in Nako, Himachal Pradesh, India. Furthermore the workflow from acquisition of basic datasets to their refinement for an interactive view in Google Earth is discussed. Finally an outlook on future developments towards a more immersive 3D visualisation on a virtual reality wall will be given.