Preservation of World's Cultural Treasures Goes Digital

"Preservation architects are turning to new technologies to help rebuild historic structures damaged by natural disasters," writes Liz McEnaney. "One such project is at the Arts Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand, where Holmes Consulting Group (HCG) is using 3D scanning equipment to stabilize, repair, and strengthen the former Canterbury College buildings, a complex of late-19th century Gothic stone masonry structures that were severely damaged by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011."

"Engineers and architects are not only using 3D scanning technology to respond to natural disasters, they are applying these technologies to prepare for future strikes," she adds. The not-for-profit organization CyArk "is creating a free, 3D online library of the world’s cultural heritage sites," including Ancient Thebes, Angkor Wat, Pompeii, and Mesa Verde.