Santa Clara 3D: Digital Reconstruction and Storytelling of a Francoist Concentration Camp
🤖 AI Summary
This study addresses the erasure of historical memory associated with the physical disappearance of the San Clara concentration camp site from the Francoist era by proposing a low-cost, reusable digital methodology. Integrating archival research, 3D modeling, 360-degree photography, and web development, the approach constructs a spatiotemporal visualization platform that supports multitemporal interaction. Through participatory design and narrative visualization, users can seamlessly navigate between three historical phases: the original monastery, its transformation into a concentration camp, and its current state. The platform not only dynamically reconstructs a vanished site but also fosters public engagement, historical reflection, and intergenerational memory transmission, offering a scalable technical framework for similar heritage preservation initiatives.
Application Category
📝 Abstract
This paper explores the potential of digital reconstruction and interactive storytelling to preserve historically suppressed sites. The main objective of an interdisciplinary team of data scientists from the MEMORISE project and associates of the memory association Asociacion Recuerdo y Dignidad was to preserve the memory of the Francoist Santa Clara concentration camp in Soria, Spain, through the use of digital technology. Combining archival research, 3D modelling, 360-degree photography, and web development, a prototype digital platform was created to visualise the transformation of the site across three historical phases: its origin as a convent, its use as a Francoist concentration camp, and its present-day condition. The platform allows users to navigate through spatial and temporal layers. Clickable media markers encourage exploration and interaction. Drawing on principles of participatory design, narrative visualisation, and open-ended user engagement, the project demonstrates how digital tools can support memory work, public engagement, and historical reflection. Our low-cost concept is especially adaptable to other physical sites that have been erased or forgotten.
Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
digital reconstruction
historical memory
suppressed sites
concentration camp
memory preservation
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
digital reconstruction
interactive storytelling
3D modelling
participatory design
narrative visualisation
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