Serious 3D in Art and Architectural Histroy: Object oriented research methods in light of Historic Building Information Modelling and Linked Open Data technologies.

• Antragstellerinnen / Antragsteller: Professorin Dr. Ina Blümel; Professor Piotr Kuroczynski, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Tanja Michalsky
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Kunstgeschichte ; Architektur, Bau- und Konstruktionsgeschichte, Bauforschung, Ressourcenökonomie im Bauwesen
• Förderung: Förderung seit 2025
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 566423951

Rapid advances in data acquisition and processing open exciting opportunities for object-related disciplines but pose challenges for humanities scholars. Digital scanning, HBIM 3D modelling, and visualization tools offer clear benefits but also raise issues of traceability, interoperability, accessibility, and sustainability. SERIOUS3D addresses these challenges by realizing an interdisciplinary proof-of-concept case study on the Palazzo Medici, Florence. It explores the potential of HBIM models supported by RDF/Knowledge Graphs for research in Art and Architectural History, even for well-documented, complex monuments. SERIOUS3D leverages collaborative BIM applications from architecture/civil engineering. It examines data acquisition, processing, and storage requirements, testing whether interdisciplinary planning tools can be applied in humanities research. A key aim is to develop a research methodology integrating classification systems, a Level of Information Need, object-oriented 3D modelling, and role-/model-based communication. The project seeks to enhance interoperability by linking 3D models to structured data, following FAIR principles and Open Science approaches. The project also seeks to harmonize BIM classifications with humanities vocabularies (e.g. Getty’s AAT) as well as European and International thesauri. By extending the BIM data dictionary and integrating semantic web standards like ifcOWL and CIDOC-CRM, SERIOUS3D will improve data interoperability across Cultural Heritage research. The integration of HBIM models into open, semantic structures will ensure long-term accessibility and usability, enabling seamless multi-format publishing of contextualized 3D content. AI-driven terminology alignment and intelligent semantic annotation will further streamline research workflows, while knowledge graph frameworks like NFDI4Culture-Semantic Kompakkt will support HBIM models. These efforts align with international open science frameworks, ensuring cross-institutional data integration and interoperability. Choosing Palazzo Medici allows for in-depth analysis of a globally significant monument with extensive historical documentation. We will link a digital edition of the palace’s 1492 inventory to reconstructed palace spaces and museum collections. Using HBIM 3D modelling, SERIOUS3D will explore scholarly debates, such as the original display context of Donatello’s David, spatial configurations of lost artworks, and interactions between Renaissance architecture and its contents. SERIOUS3D aims to demonstrate that 3D reconstruction and modelling technologies can align with humanist methodologies, producing a scholarly resource that meets peer-review standards. By integrating digital tools with traditional research approaches, it advances interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring better data consistency, quality, and accessibility for humanities research and Cultural Heritage preservation.

• DFG-Verfahren: Sachbeihilfen
• Internationaler Bezug: Großbritannien
• Partnerorganisation: Arts and Humanities Research Council
• Kooperationspartner: Professor Donal Cooper, Ph.D.; Professor Fabrizio Nevola, Ph.D.