Dynamic representations for information visualisation and retrieval: a case study on Krakow's architectural heritage

In the field of the architectural heritage, a comprehensive analysis of the historical documentation concerning sites or edifices is an unavoidable step in their understanding. Yet few solutions exist that would bridge the gap between VR techniques and solutions for documentation. In the history of architectural representation, we observe that representation has since the renaissance been understood as a mean to deliver information. Our proposal investigates possibilities opened today to re-apply this vision to information visualisation and retrieval. In this paper we present solutions investigated in order to use the 3D representation of architecture as an interface to a heritage documentation. Elements discussed will be an analysis of the information we deal with, as well as the real-time, web-based solutions developed in order to visualise objects with regards to domain specific issues such as shape uncertainty or hypothesis justification. This research is experimented on the city of Krakow (Poland) and its architectural evolutions.