KVL home page
The Centre for Computing in the Humanities home pageKing's College London home page
The Pompey Project home page

3D Reconstructions

[c]

3D Models in the "Pompey Project"

The 19th Century Reconstructions

Restoring the Theater of Pompey in the 21st Century:


 

By James Packer

3D Models in the “Pompey Project”

In order to mesh the details of plans, sections, and elevations accurately, architects have long constructed three dimensional models. These also gave convincing demonstrations of the future effects of a specific design. They showed the appearance of its forms; they demonstrated realistic plays of light and shade across the proposed architectural fabric, and they conveyed to non-architects a realistic impression of the future building. Indeed without such models mistakes in plans and sections would remain uncorrected.

In recent times, the advent of AutoCad and computer rendering have created the three dimensional digital model. Convincingly colored, filled with accurate details taken from on-site features in properly realistic visualizations, these constructs show viewers every feature from any angle. Hence the construction of our own as yet unfinished computer model has necessarily taught us much about the form and character of the Theater of Pompey in its various phases, and similar reasoning led us to make 3D models based on the reconstructions of Canina and Baltard. To both scholars and the general public, all three models demonstrate the features envisioned by the early archaeo-logist/architects in easily manipulated, completely comprehensible, visually memorable three-dimensional forms that, as further materials on the Theater come to light, may be easily revised and sent on line to all parts of the world.

19th century model of the Pantheon   . Incomplete  model of the Theater of Pompey, looking SW (John Burge, J. Packer)
Fig. 1. 19th century model of the Pantheon (by Chipiez)   Fig. 2. Incomplete  model of the Theater of Pompey, looking SW (John Burge, J. Packer)

 

Next page >>