There are projects of inestimable cultural value, in which one perceives from the beginning that the result will go far beyond the solution of technical aspects and that you will have the opportunity to contribute to the definition of new methodological approaches capable of inspiring, innovating and leaving a lasting mark.
The Colosseum digitization project, strongly desired by the Colosseum Archaeological Park and supported by the MIC is rightly part of the definition of a project of inestimable cultural value.
Challenging and engaging at the same time, the project allowed us to highlight the complexity characterizing the maintenance, conservation and enhancement of imposing historical monuments and more generally of the historical cultural heritage preserved in them, contributing significantly to the debate on the issue of preventive and planned conservation of the existing heritage and to the desirable definition of a general strategic plan on the subject.
The digitization project was developed through integrated 3D surveying and Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) techniques, effectively creating the first comprehensive geometric-morphological database of the monument. The Colosseum staff (Single Project Manager Dr. ssa Federica Rinaldi and Director of Execution Architect Barbara Nazzaro) and the companies that won the service contract, CONSORZIO FUTURO in RICERCA CFR (agent), GEOGRA' Srl, ETS Srl and JANUS Srl, have produced in two years of intense work, a result of extraordinary importance for the protection of the monument and for the many study and research activities now essential for maintenance, restoration and enhancement interventions, structural analysis and seismic vulnerability.
The developed methodology enables researchers and practitioners in the fields of archaeology, architecture, history, restoration, engineering, chemistry, and physics to query, extract, implement, and share information about the monument's tangible and intangible values by referencing the first geomorphological database of the entire structure. The procedure adopts scan-to-HBIM protocols for continuous updating of 2D and 3D models, enabling multiscale analysis and readings based on more than 120 information categories. The result is a complex digital documentation system designed to integrate existing and new data, 2D/3D models, and heterogeneous information. This system also defines criteria for implementation and interoperability within ACDat, with the goal of supporting cultural heritage lifecycle management.
The project represents an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to the documentation and digital modeling of architectural heritage, a method that combines advanced technologies and specialized expertise to support knowledge, conservation, and sustainable management of complex cultural heritage.
The three-dimensional digital survey was conducted through the integration of different technologies, including 3D terrestrial laser scanner, topographic survey and GPS acquisition. This allowed the generation of a unique and coherent model that includes geographic, metric, geometric and chromatic data, representing with great accuracy the morphological and structural characters of the entire monument. This acquisition is complemented by an in-depth photogrammetric survey performed through images captured from the ground and from drone. The result is a georeferenced point cloud, recorded in the same coordinate system as the laser scanner cloud. This step is essential to represent the material characters of the artifact and to generate high-resolution mesh models and orthophotos. From the three-dimensional and thematically mapped point cloud based on key parameters such as constituent materials, construction techniques, degradation phenomena, crack pattern, and stratigraphic units, two-dimensional architectural representations, such as floor plans, elevations, and sections at a scale of 1:50, are obtained. The thematic mapping allows a thorough reading of the artifact, capable of returning, with scientific rigor, the information necessary for understanding and planning preservation interventions.
Another essential contribution is made by stratigraphic archaeological analysis. Through the identification and documentation of ancient and restoration stratigraphic units, a timely historical reading of the monument is implemented in the models. The stratigraphic units are represented on the two-dimensional drawings with dedicated symbology that express stratigraphic relationships-such as cuts, supports, and replacements-and that distinguish the different historical phases, including those related to pre- and post-unification restoration.
At the thematic level, segmentation of the 3D point cloud was carried out to return the spatial distribution of materials, construction techniques, forms of decay, and crack patterns. This work was based on both manual and semi-automatic procedures and produced a query able three-dimensional representation capable of isolating and analyzing each category of data for conservation and design purposes.
The approach taken also includes the informative enrichment of the models through the construction and conservation history of the monument. Each component of the HBIM model is linked to datasets that tell the story of the building's evolution through its four main historical phases, providing an interpretive framework that integrates archaeological, constructional, and conservation data. In parallel, an in-depth survey of structural injuries and deformations was carried out, combining autopsy analysis, photographic verification and technical surveys. The result is a parameterized three-dimensional mapping of the instabilities, useful for structural monitoring and seismic vulnerability assessment.
At the heart of the system is the construction of the HBIM model, developed from the geometric data acquired through the integrated survey and the recognition of architectural elements and materials. Nine geometric-information models and one coordination model have been developed, all of which comply with the BIM guidelines provided for public procurement and are aimed at the maintenance, restoration, conservation and study of the monument.
Il modello viene ulteriormente arricchito mediante l’integrazione di otto dataset tematici codificati secondo standard interoperabili, relativi a materiali, degrado, impianti, fasi storiche e quadro fessurativo. Queste informazioni, associate direttamente alle entità geometriche, sono consultabili in ambiente digitale e costituiscono una base informativa solida per il supporto alle decisioni progettuali.
A completamento del lavoro, anche gli impianti moderni – elettrici, meccanici, di sicurezza – sono stati modellati in ambiente BIM. Questa modellazione (MEP) comprende le reti tecniche e gli interventi accessori rilevati in situ, ed è strettamente integrata con le strutture storiche per garantire una gestione sicura, funzionale e coerente del monumento.
This approach represents an advanced paradigm in the digitization of cultural heritage, capable of combining relief, knowledge, diagnosis and management in a single interoperable and up-to-date platform. A methodology that looks to the future of preservation, based on objective data, intelligent modeling and collaboration between knowledge, in the service of active and informed preservation. The processes of documentation and digital modeling of architectural heritage represent a frontier where technology and culture meet to ensure the knowledge and preservation of our past. documentazione e modellazione digitale del patrimonio architettonico, rappresentano una frontiera in cui tecnologia e cultura si incontrano per garantire la conoscenza e la conservazione del nostro passato.
