The Parametric Museum Combining Building Information Modeling, 3D Projection Mapping with a Community’s

Digital Collections for Cultural Heritage Museums

Samir Bhowmik Aalto University

Finland samir.bhowmik@aalto.fi

Abstract— Building Information Modeling (BIM) for new museum building design has been in use since the past decade. It allows architects, engineers and consultants to digitally co-design structures and exhibit spaces needed for museum collections. This process leads to a complete digitization of the physical museum, creating a parametric model that opens up a possibility for future integration with the museum’s and community’s digital artifacts. Museums are also currently in the process of exploring participatory digital strategies with their user communities and engage them in collection, digitization and archival processes. A new element in the participation by visitors and community would be to engage them digitally with the museum’s building model and its physical space. Can BIM, community’s and visitors’ historic digital collections be integrated to create a shared and collaborative museum digital

ecosystem? How will this digital building model of a historic museum space serve as a parametric platform for the digital artifacts of the participating community? Could a museum exhibit the community’s digital artifacts via 3d Projection Mapping using the BIM model of the interior of the museum? By this, visitors and community could then insert their own historic collections into the museum, exhibit them through AV projections and thus transform the museum space as a stage for the display of the community’s collections. Along these lines, this paper investigates various digital and participatory methods to engage user communities with museum buildings. It also explores inherent challenges towards an integrated museum model, and raises questions of sustainability that come along with it.

Keywords—BIM; 3D Projection; Architectural mapping.

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