3D Laser Scanning Services: Holy Sepulchre 3D Scanned For Restoration Project

Italian technological university Politecnic di Milano is contributing to the restoration of the Holy Sepulchre’s floor by creating guidelines for modeling and sending data for a recovery and reconstruction project. A team from Politecnico di Milano used 3D laser scanning services to conduct a comprehensive survey before any intervention was carried out.

Located in one of the world’s most historic cities, Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is one of the city’s most striking landmarks. Although this may not be the actual location where Jesus’ body was buried, the Church itself is a magnificent representation of the various Christian faiths that have lived in Jerusalem throughout the ages. In terms of its ability to move the souls of believers, no church in the world comes close.

How Researchers Used 3D Laser Scanning Services at the Holy Sepulchre

Researchers developed frameworks of the floor and surrounding architecture based on the data gathered from the laser 3D scanning services. Led by Architect Osama Hamdan led project coordinators on the ground to gather this laser scanner data during the height of the pandemic. 

Between September and October 2021, researchers from the Politecnico in Rome conducted a high-resolution photogrammetric survey on the site, collecting over 50,000 high-resolution images using a custom-built system. 

As a result, a 3D model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre’s floor can now be built, and it will eventually be possible to 3D print any single element of the floor using diverse 3D laser scanning services, which include those using stone.

Holy Sepulchre’s condition was documented in detail by a crew from Politecnico di Milano using 3D scanning services.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a magnificent representation of the various Christian faiths that have coexisted in the holy city throughout the centuries.

Prof. Luigi Fregonese from the Politecnico di Milano’s Department of Architecture and Construction Engineering and Built Environment explains that “the system we designed is a special trolley with an articulated lighting and acquisition system that can be controlled in both intensity and color.”

As part of the overall process of the 3d laser scanning services, a topographic survey was carried out to ensure the accuracy of the resulting orthophoto, which was then processed and verified to produce a high-resolution digital image.

It took a lot of work from a group from the Politecnico, the MantovaLAB – HESUTECH group from the Politecnico di Milano Mantua Campus (ABC Department), and the vice chancellor of the Mantua Campus, Federico Bucci. They worked together to ensure that the church’s normal activities and the visits of pilgrims and tourists, even though the pandemic was going on, were not disrupted by the 3d scanning service.

Work on the floor, which has just begun, is being done on behalf of the Custody of the Holy Land. The project manager is the Centro di Conservazione e Restauro La Venaria Reale [CCR-VR] in Turin, with help from a team of experts from different fields. The La Sapienza University of Rome is in charge of the archeological dig.