CHArt CHArt Computers and the History of Art - 1999 Conference Paper Abstract
The abbey at St Avit Sénieur in the Dordogne is an example of the particular Byzantine style of the region. In this style the abbey would originally have had domes over the three sections of the nave instead of the ribbed Angevin vaults that it has currently. Arguments for and against this idea are difficult to prove as the abbey was sacked in 1577 and all documents destroyed. Consequently, evidence can only be deduced from the existing fabric.
The St Avit project is an investigation of the existing structure and construction that aims to reconstruct the abbey as a computer model to test the variety of ideas about its construction and, crucially, to investigate the use of the web as a tool for collective research.
One of the difficulties of undertaking this kind of investigation is the need for specialist activity in fieldwork, particularly given the range of disciplines that might be involved, e.g. architecture, engineering, archaeology, draughting, computer modeling, etc. In order to address these problems, the project will attempt to make field information and subsequent data available to other participants through the Internet.
The project uses architecture students from the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow to gather this information as a teaching and learning activity.
This paper describes the early stages of this project, in particular the use of digital imaging and virtual reality alongside traditional survey methods to produce an interactive plan. This links existing plans with elevations, sketches and drawings, photographs, new survey and level information, digital still and video images, and interactive virtual reality panoramas.