Monuments dating back to problematic times such as the regimes or dictatorships of '900 are often at the center of harsh wranglings. May their digitalization preserve the information they provide as cultural heritage while helping their historicisation process proceed quicker? These questions had been the guide for the survey and playable reconstruction of Ciano Mausoleum in Livorno presented at CHNT 2018 in Wien

3. 1918
Joins the so called
"Buccari Mockery"
1934
Is Speaker of the
Chamber of Deputies
1939
Dies in his hometown
Livorno
2004
The mausoleum is a "screen"
addressed to the city
1941
Building site is opened
COSTANZO CIANO POST-WAR FACTS
Costanzo Ciano was a WWI hero
who joined Fascist Party from
the very beginning, becoming
one of its key party officials.
Half-built and partially demolished,
the Mausoleum has been abandoned
and now is in complete neglect
even if visible from far distance
BUILDING SITE
As he died war was just a few months
ahead, and PNF decided to promote
a public subscription to fund a huge
Mausoleum to be dedicated to him
1939
Design assignment to
sculptor Arturo Dazzi
1943
The half-built lighthouse
is blown up by Nazis
1964
Two brothers die tumbling
down from the terrace

5. FASCISM REMOVED THE IMPASSE
Being a monument at the same time
an item and a symbol, any activity
addressed to the item, is perceived
at the same time as addressed
through the symbol at the
meaning it embeds as well,
including preservation
SEMIOTICS
PLANNING
Many italian cities have been
transformed to varying degrees
by fascism, mainly by razing
central, ancient and popular
neighborhoods
MONUMENTS
While at planning and building level
the actions promoted during fascism
are almost unnoticed, monuments
are still a perceptible presence
A WAY OUT?
The inextricable connection between
the item and its meaning cannot exist
for its digitalization since any action
becomes intrinsically nondestructive
At the same time, information
is saved even if the item
would deteriorate
THE IDOLIZERS
Italy has suffered a civil war in 43-45.
And former fascists soon reorganized
either at a political and cultural level.
Nostalgics are not a few.
AS SYMBOLS
A Monument is indeed Symbol that
refers to a thought of reference that
eventually soaks the monument
itself
AS ITEMS
While meaning changes with time
monuments meant not as symbols but
as physical items lose their integrity,
harming their intrinsic value
as cultural and storic records
THE ICONOCLASTS
The Republic emerged from WWII
is grounded on antifascist Resistance.
For this reason, many still think
that we should simply erase any
evidence coming from those years
Italians, unlike Germans, have not
been able yet to elaborate their
own past and thus are still unable
to storicize fascism
ARCHITECTURE
The style of typical fascists
buildings is unmistakable, with their
neo-roman pseudo-rationalist
appearance; despite this they are
accepted as part of cityscape
Thought of reference for monuments
built during close problematic past
has shifted from the one they were
meant for to a symbol of that past
itself, and is hence seen through
personal opinions about it

7. PROCESSING
Agisoft Photoscan 1.3.6
SURVEY
Sony A-700, Zeiss 16-80
Manual WB, S/A
shot in RAW
SCOPE PHOTOSCAN
Getting to a manageable, objective
3D model ready for further elaboration
and with the least data loss while
preserving as much complete
as possible raw data for future
eventual reprocessing
Since documentation scope for
the statues was secondary,
a sub-professional equipment
has been chosen and a simplified
processing phase applied
(no dimension validation)
LASERSCAN
Raw point clouds have been stored
for documentation purposes, then
imported, decimated, filtered and
eventually merged and layered
with an architectonic ratio
(columns, walls, vaults etc.)
SURVEY
Zoller + Fröhlich
imager 5006h
PROCESSING
Leica Cyclone 6.0.3
RAW DATA
PROCESSED DATA
Store either raw data and every
revision as they are processed when
a loss of objectivity and integrity
is necessary
Privilege manual over automatic
processing, stick to objective
data avoiding to operate major
gaps/holes integration, delegate
simplification and integration
to subsequent phases

9. UNACCESSIBLE
Partes belonging to a building
can be inferenced either on
structural and typological
hypothesis
BAKING
Fine detail is "baked" from
a highpoly model to a
target lowpoly one
SCOPE INTEGRATION
Getting to a lightweight, optimized,
complete, shareable master 3D model
of existing object, that might be shared
or used as solid base for further
declinations (CG, VR, 3Dprint etc.)
Surveyed data might be incomplete
if target surface is badly orientated,
hidden, or even unreachable. In this
phase completeness is mandatory
hence gaps have to be filled
via interpolation or inference
UV-WISE MESH
Mesh has to be designed with
the forthcoming mapping
phase in mind
REDUCTION
Surveyed data, even if already reduced,
have to be reworked from ground up
in order to get a 3D model compliant
to the standard requirements for CG
(lightweight, UV mapped, fair)
LOW SAMPLED
Hardly reachable surfaces can be
reconstructed by interpolating
sparse samples
RETOPOLOGY
Retopology is a complete retracing
of a 3D mesh aimed either at weight
and at further processing, mainly
mapping. Automatic algorithms
are good only for reduction
purposes and aren't suitable
for further development
3D TO 2D
Some techniques, derived from
gaming industry, allow to migrate
high-detail information from 3D to 2D
resulting in a model that is better
handled by software
and hardware
BCKG COSTRAINT
New lowpoly mesh is led to
snap to the surveyed one
granting accuracy
FAIR MESH
Retopologized mesh is preferably
formed by 4-gons, has loops,
and is "watertight"

11. PHILOLOGY
The few undocumented parts,
have been designed on
contemporary analogues
MATERIALS
Marble and stone coatings are
documented, but some
quarries are exhausted
SCOPE UNDOCUMENTED
Crafting an objective 3D reconstruction
that could be as much affordable and
objective as possible while keeping
3D model compliant to the same
rules applied to the optimized
surveyed data at previous stage
Surveyed data might be incomplete
if target surface is badly orientated,
hidden, or even unreachable. In this
phase completeness is mandatory
hence gaps have to be filled
via interpolation or inference
STATUES
70% of main statue lies in quarry
3 on 4 minor statues stand
in a city nearby
ORIGINAL DESIGNS
Main source are the original designs
collected at PNF archive in Rome
by Arch. Federico Scaroni for his
senior thesis, kindly shared with me.
Other sources (mainly sketches)
come from Dazzi Foundation
and web search (photos)
INTEGRATION
Partially built parts, such coatings,
have been used as guides
for completing missing
or spoiled parts
VALIDATION
While retopology can rely on measured
data, reconstructed geometry must
be validated by other sources, such
as original designs, inference
based on technology, typology,
filology, comparison
ARCHITECTURE
Almost complete documentation
verified and adapted
on survey. Minor data
from photos
Highest priority to survey,
then documented designs adapted
to survey, then justified integration,
then philological hipothesis.
No arbitrary speculations,
no simplifications on
dimensions or surfaces
METHODOLOGY
COMPLEMENTS
Many original designs are
documented. Minor ones
are missing

13. ASSETS
The 3D model has to be reorganized
in separate layers, each containing
a single component (a column,
a stair, a lamp...) that is imported
in Unreal and then set for material
assignment and simulated
phisics behaviour
ENVIRONMENT
To improve plausibility, secondary
elements such as vegetation
and surroundings
are added
SCOPE GAMEPLAY
Exploit the potential of gaming tech,
either on hardware and software side,
by setting up a playable reconstruction
that can be shared and enjoyed
almost on any device with
minimum initial investment
and maximum flexibility
At a cognitive level, watching a 3D
reconstruction is far less effective than
actually playing it, discovering it
progressively as we'd do in real life,
especially by doing it with a VR
visor on. But to achieve this goal
we have to simulate the
underlying physics
LEVEL DESIGN
3D reconstruction has to be prepared
for exporting in Unreal - the game
development software - where they
are composed, materials are
assigned and the whole virtual
reality is created
MAPS
The modeling software calculates
specialized maps like AO
to improve materials
simulation
LIGHTING
Simulation algorithms are used
to cast light and shadows
on simulated world
Beeing the goal the simulation of reality
assets have to be placed in a virtual
environment with lights and as many
details as possible, keeping in mind
that details come at a cost
in terms of performance
SETUP
MESHES
SpecializedUV sets are derived
for Lightmaps and texturing,
collision volumes
are set
In-game physics allow to run faster,
jump higher or even fly. But interaction
with other objects in scene have to
be real: i.e. if i'd walk on a wall
i'd bump on it. Everything
such has to be designed
and coded
MOVEMENT
In a virtual reality we can add further
levels of interaction with objects than
the ones allowed by real physics.
Up to present day, interactive
widgets open popups containing
infos about the items they
are associated with
INTERACTION

15. AWARENESS
The main goal today is to let citizens
remember what is that huge concrete
block that emerges from the top of that
hill, to let them discuss further
on a solid objective basis and
hopefully to accept it
as testimony of their
own past
TODAY
CONCLUSIONS
Up today, the 3D simulation of Ciano
Mausoleum ("Cianoleum" for friends)
can be fully browsed: Crypt, Museum,
Lighthouse, Service passages,
stairs and elevator, exterior.
Will be published within 2018
TOMORROW
Cianoleum is just at version 0.
As if it was a software, it can be
improved, developed, enriched, used
as a component of something bigger
or as a tool. With reproduction
value isn't lost, but accumulated
The second floor of the mausoleum
was designed to become a Museum
dedicated to Costanzo Ciano, but
its virtual version could be a free
digital space for virtual expos
and art experiments that could
freely adjectivize it
VIRTUAL MUSEUM
Raw files,meshes, assets, textures
could be shared with a copyleft license
allowing people to build their own
version of the Mausoleum.
The Master integrity would be
preserved and all the copies
could cohexist.
The present version it's suitable to be
experienced already with VR visors.
But having in mind accessibility, a
mobile version that might be also
played on site would be ideal.
This step will require some
effort to optimize
performance.
Interaction is now limited to info popup,
but would develop more robustly
for sake of divulgation efficiency
with rich multimedial contributes,
interactive switching with current
state, in-app access to raw
data
IMPROVEMENT
VR AND MOBILE
OPEN SOURCING
DISSEMINATION
The playable simulation will be
published on Unreal marketplace.
Singular Assets will be shared
on dedicated platforms such as
Sketchfab and on Facebook.
Press release will be sent to
local media and to
stakeholders.
Well, there is plenty of 3D reconstructions out there, so what's the point for this one?
Survey process follows the standard, processing as well, there's even a european
conference about digital archaeology and Unreal Engine has been used already, so?
The point is that here we are dealing with modern controversial heritage and the key
problem with such buildings is that they aren't sterilized yet from a living meaning.
They are stuck in a limbo where physical objects decay with time along with their
intrinsic value as cultural testimony. At the same time they stand strong as symbols
of the time they belong to and thus are adored by nostalgics or rejected by heirs of
those who fought the regimes that built them. They are not neutral. Any intervention
on the artefact is hence impeded, because it is felt as an interaction with that value.
The proposal is not just to preserve information about this kind heritage by dealing
with it as we'd do for an archeological item, but to derive from raw data a simplified
reconstruction that could be shared and enjoyed by anyone on almost any device
with an open source approach. This would foster dissemination and awareness
about the item itself and could defuse contrasts by shifting them in the digital world.
Doing so requires a dedicated development of data that pinpoints on gaming tech.
The ideal arrival of this process is to deprive iconoclasts and idolizers of their fetish
by disabilitating the item as a symbol, and let it rest as a simple testimony of past, to
be cared and preserved as any other archeological testimony.