Rebeka VITAL
(Faculty of Department of Interior, Building and Environment, Design at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Israel)
During the past decades, the digital realm is influencing more and more disciplines. It has become a defining component of the architectural field and is increasingly used in the fields of architectural history and archeology. Virtual reconstructions are becoming very popular as a mean of researching and representing historical buildings. In many cases they are preferred over conventional physical reconstructions, both because of financial reasons and because of their ability to be changed in light of new archeological findings. But do their temporality and their ability to be altered justify a tendency towards inaccuracies on behalf of their creators? This paper deals with the influence of virtual architectural or archaeological reconstructions on collective memory and the responsibility of the historian, creator of such models towards the public. Further it discusses methods that can turn a virtual reconstruction to a proper historical documentation of the past.