CC0 https://sammlung.wienmuseum.at/0bjekt/577142
The Vienna World's Fair 1873
From much-criticized building to Vienna's landmark
On May 1, 1873, the Vienna World's Fair was opened, the first in the German-speaking world. At that time, Vienna could be seen as a large construction site: the Ringstrasse, the regulation of the Danube, and the construction of the railroad stations were among the urban development projects that laid the foundation holding the World's Fair in Vienna. The Palace of Industry was the central building of the exhibition and its longitudinal and transverse galleries covered an area of 7 hectares. In the center, the Rotunde was erected for representational purposes, its interior providing space for 27,000 visitors. Designed as a temporary structure, the Rotunde was used for exhibitions and events for more than sixty years after the World's Fair. The history of this building, which was initially viewed critically, came to an end with the major fire on September 17, 1937, but over the years has become an important landmark in Vienna.
MA 68 Photographic department
Architecture
The Rotunde -
a building of superlatives
At the time of its completion, the Rotunde, with a span of 108 meters and a height of 84 meters, was considered the largest domed building in the world and joined the list of spectacular exhibition architecture, such as the Crystal Palace in London or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Designed by the Englishman Scott-Russel, extended by Wilhelm von Engerth and planned by the architect Carl von Hasenauer, the building complex known as the Palace of Industry was erected in just two years of construction and opened at the start of the World's Fair in May 1873.
On 32 riveted steel columns, more than 20 meters high, a tension ring of 104 meters in diameter was placed, which supported the conical roof with the two lanterns. The four-meter-high replica of the imperial crown formed the top of the building at a height of over 85 meters. The rotunde could be completely circumnavigated on the inside at a height of 23 meters, and the roof provided access to the upper lantern, which offered a panoramic view of Vienna at a height of over 70 meters.
Reconstruction
The digitized rotunde-
more than a virtual model
The main goal of the reconstruction is not only the production of a detailed three-dimensional model, but also the planned further use of the rotunde as an interactive exhibition and event environment. The creation process can be roughly divided into three stages: In the first step, a model with basic geometries is created that is as precise as possible on the basis of the original sketches received. This is followed by geometric details such as ornaments and interior fittings, as well as the definition of materials including lighting, in order to obtain initial rendered images. In the third section, geometries, materials and textures are transferred to the real-time environment of the Unreal Engine. With these prerequisites, a digital model of the rotunde is created that should allow the user, without specific hardware or input devices, to individually walk through the rotunde in real time.
Exhibition
MATADOR
It is not known whether the company, which still exists today, ever exhibited its wooden toys in the Rotunde, but in any case the wooden models were widely used in the 1920s and 1930s and offered children and adults who were enthusiastic about handicrafts a playful insight into innovations and technical developments of the time. The exhibition revives this era with detailed models of mechanical engineering and transport technology. The matador models, scaled to the true size of their real life counterparts, are spread across the huge central space of the rotunda and can be viewed from every angle. Forty selected models have been recreated for this purpose, provided with the appropriate wooden textures, and in some cases equipped with integrated motion sequences.
Exhibition opening: December 15, 2023
Exhibition duration: December 16, 2023 - November 30, 2024
RASER DIGITAL Heritage
Heritage Lifecycle, Digital Reconstruction, Virtual Exhibitions
