Preservation of Architectural Heritage Through 3D Digitization

Continuity and relation to the past are inherent in human nature. The remains of the past constitute culture and cultural heritage. Preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage appear to be, nowadays, a universal priority. Historic/architectural monuments are among the most significant categories of cultural heritage and their 3D digitization appears to be a chief way towards that direction. 3D digitization of architectural heritage is a very specific problem in the digitization domain. Since size, budget and applicability are some of the most important factors in choosing an appropriate digitization method, and since there is not an all-in-one solution in digitization, this problem cannot be always addressed by using one technique. In this paper we review methods that are available for 3D digitization of architectural heritage and we present two case studies of real-world digitization projects involving monuments and urban areas