Rethinking Space Representation as Interface Design

Virtual reconstructions, that is, 3D digital models of heritage buildings or spaces, have been an integral part of most virtual heritage applications, and are probably among the first things that come to mind when virtual heritage is mentioned – with Quicktime VR as a close second place. Its importance leads to the adoption and development of various technologies in order to obtain faster, bigger and more accurate renderings, preferably in real time. A recent trend has been the use of game engines, for instance, with their powerful graphics acceleration technologies enabling real time navigation in architecture icons such as Wright’s Fallingwater and Mies’ Farnsworth House (http:// archlife.skynetblogs.be/archivemonth/2006-01). However, these virtual environments, as detailed and user-responsive as they might be, lack important properties for heritage representation. Our analysis will address these aspects that should be present in virtual heritage applications, based on comparisons with the concept of history and digital history applications. With these characteristics in mind, the spatial paradigm behind most virtual reconstructions might simply not be the best choice for heritage ABSTRACT