Synagogue Neudeggergasse: a Virtual Reconstruction in Vienna

Issues associated with virtual reconstruction are first dealt within this paper. Visualizing of no longer existent (architecture-) objects and their surroundings practically amounts to a “virtual comeback”. Furthermore, special attention is given to the description of the working procedure for a case study of reconstruction sounding out the potentials of QuickTime VR. The paper ends up with a set of conclusions, taking a close look at the “pros” and “cons” of this type of re-construction. 1 Introduction Irreversible destruction having removed identity-establishing buildings from the urban surface for all times is the principal cause for the attempt of renewed “imaginating.” When dealing with such reconstruction first the problem of reliability concerning the existing basic material has to be tackled. Due to their two-dimensional recording photographs only supply us with restricted information content of the object under consideration. Thus the missing part has to be supplemented or substituted by additional sources. Within the process of assembling and overlaying of differing data sets the way of dealing with such fragmentations becomes of major importance. Priority is given to the choice of information. One of the most elementary items of information regarding perception of three-dimensional objects surely is the effect that color and material furnishes. It seems to suggest itself that black-and-white shots hardly will prove valid in this respect. The three-dimensional object doubtlessly provides us with a by far greater variety of possibilities in the following working process than the “cardboard model with pasted-on facade photography”. Only the completely designed model structure makes for visualizing the plastic representation form of architecture in a sustainable manner. Furthermore, a virtual model can be dismantled into part models without amounting to a destruction process thereof. Apart therefrom the virtual model permits the generation of differing reconstruction variants regarding color and material. Moreover, architecture models of a physical nature are inherently connected to locality as such