What challenge or opportunity did your project address, and what activities, methods, or outcomes have been achieved so far?
Initiated in 2020 by the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies and implemented by the Armenian Cultural Heritage Institute, the Armenian Heritage Scanning Project is a multi-year initiative to document, preserve, and activate Armenia’s architectural heritage through advanced digital documentation technologies. Employing two complementary approaches – laser scanning and photogrammetry – more than 285 monuments across Armenia and Artsakh have been scanned, creating high-resolution 3D models and establishing a digital archive of endangered sites.
This documentation effort extends beyond preservation to cultural activation, transforming tangible heritage into accessible resources for research, conservation, education, and creative practice. The potential of these datasets to inspire new contemporary cultural expressions was demonstrated in the Armenian Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, where an AI model trained on the collected data explored the relationship between technology, memory, and cultural heritage.
The project’s open-access digital platform provides access to 3D models alongside historical and contextual information, enabling researchers, heritage professionals, educators, artists, and the wider public to engage with Armenia’s cultural heritage in new ways.
Today, the project’s growing archive of 3D models, datasets, and documentation methodologies offers valuable opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the reuse of digital heritage resources across research, conservation, education, and cultural initiatives.
What key insights, lessons learned, or innovations emerged from your work that could be valuable to others working in the fields of cultural heritage and 3D technologies?
Bringing together members of the Time Machine Organisation working at the intersection of cultural heritage and 3D technologies, the Academy created a unique space for exchanging ideas, sharing expertise, and discovering innovative approaches to the digital preservation of heritage. Presenting the work of the Armenian Cultural Heritage Institute alongside other international initiatives was a valuable opportunity to learn from diverse experiences, build meaningful connections, and explore new possibilities for collaboration.