Evolution of the architectural and heritage representation

Since the 16th Century, the construction of monuments and historical sites has undergone a significant change, due to the constant developments in measuring techniques and tools. Old world travellers returned with detailed descriptions on distant cultures, many of them including illustrations and representations of monuments and settings. Since the 19th Century, research on these ancient cultures claimed for detailed and accurate architectural representations, and heritage started being catalogued. The sketches were complemented with topographic surveys and illustrated reports. Discrete and subjective techniques to acquire information led to other massive data acquisition techniques, including space and theme-related. Digital photogrammetry or laser scanning reproduce characteristics far beyond mere geometry or spatial position. Currently, a 3D representation divided into 2D planes is inadequate with the availability of 3D virtual models, including colour and texture information. Geographic information systems (GIS) that link alphanumerical information to graphic representations simplify the analysis and data access for cataloguing architectural heritage. A historical review of all the above-mentioned techniques is made stressing the main advances achieved in architectural heritage management. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.