Digitization of the Built Cultural Heritage: An Integrated Methodology for Preservation and Accessibilization of an Art Nouveau Museum

Abstract

The emergence of new technologies has dynamized the way in which cultural heritage is documented, preserved, and passed on to new generations; something that determines a paradigm shift in terms of research in this field. Most operations now also have access to the virtual component. In this context, the current study aimed to make accessible through virtual and augmented reality one of the most interesting objectives belonging to the Jewish cultural heritage built in Art Nouveau style in the municipality of Oradea (Romania), which currently functions as a La Belle Epoque Museum. In the study, the techniques of terrestrial, aerial photogrammetry, and terrestrial laser scanning were used to remodel, in a three-dimensional format, as faithful as possible and usable in different applications, the special architecture of the exterior of the monument. This information was doubled by making the interior of the monument accessible through a complete and complex series of panoramic images interconnected within a virtual tour that will be made available to tourists interested in discovering the Darvas-La Roche House. The virtual tour, which includes both graphic, textual, and audio information, represents an innovative approach for the buildings built in Art Nouveau style in the municipality of Oradea, representing a virtual bridge for better promotion of the tourist destination and for the awareness of the local people regarding the importance of preserving and appreciating the local cultural heritage. This is all the more important as this is the first initiative to make the Art Nouveau buildings in Oradea Municipality accessible to the general public in an innovative way.