Using 4D modelling in a university-museum research partnership

In the field of virtual heritage, scientific 4D modelling brings together interdisciplinary expertise in an iterative process to create and revise digital models that also reflect the passage of time. Our work focusses on making this type of model serve the needs of museologists by linking various documentary sources (both text-based and iconographic) and testimonials to the 4D model. Our case study involves a former industrial site. Over the decades, various buildings in this old factory complex have been the subject of construction, demolition and redevelopment. Under a university-museum research partnership, our 4D model will be part of an interactive digital environment designed for a museum exhibit. Our goal is to maximize the flexibility of the model, which was based on i) research to find new documentary sources, ii) oral testimonies to complete the documentary record and iii) testing to make the user experience more cognitively enriching. This approach has strengthened the partnership between the museum and the university, made university research available to a wider audience and provided a modest museum with a new tool.