Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Virtual time travel back to St. Andrews' cathedral

Back when I was living in St. Andrews, I got to know a local historian and artist who was doing a rendering of the St. Andrews cathedral; how it looked before its eventual ruin. It got me thinking and imagining more about the actual presence of that edifice; what used to be the largest building in all of Scotland (and largest single room in Scotland up until its eventual - and final - destruction).

Now, as part of its ongoing 600 years of academic marvel, St. Andrews University is presenting a virtual tour of the cathedral in all of its past glory:
Visitors will be able to create their own avatars and navigate their way around the online reconstruction; exploring the cloisters, the internal choir section, the chapter house, and the nave. There will be historic characters so visitors will be able to chat (using headphones and microphone) with Robert the Bruce, an Augustinian Friar and perhaps “The Old Grey Lady” a ghost reported to haunt the building. The experience is intended to give users a new perspective on Scottish history, accessible across the generations.
Looking at the School of Classic page, I can't find the actual 3D renderings beyond the model, but I'll keep poking around, maybe even send an e-mail to Classics to find out where the 3D virtual tour is.

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