L'Università di Pavia tra i coordinatori della terza edizione del workshop internazionale “Digital Discoveries in Architectural Heritage"
(English below) Si è tenuta dal 28 al 30 ottobre 2025, a Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), la terza edizione del workshop internazionale “Digital Discoveries in Architectural Heritage: From 3D Mapping to Phygital Experiences”, organizzato e coordinato dall’Università di Pavia e dall’Università di Sharjah.
Il workshop si è svolto presso il Dipartimento di Architectural Engineering dell’University of Sharjah ed è stato coordinato dalla Dott.ssa Raffaella De Marco, Marie Curie Fellow Researcher del Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Architettura dell’Università di Pavia, e dal Dr. Eslam Nofal, Assistant Professor del Department of Architectural Engineering e coordinatore del Master in Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage dell’University of Sharjah.
Il workshop si è rivolto agli studenti di Architettura dei corsi di Dottorato in Science and Technology for Heritage Conservation Management e del Master in Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage (quest’ultimo gestito in collaborazione con ICCROM). L’iniziativa ha offerto ai partecipanti un’introduzione avanzata alle metodologie del Digital Heritage, concentrandosi in particolare sui processi di digitalizzazione tridimensionale applicati al patrimonio architettonico e museale.
Giunto alla sua terza replica, dopo le edizioni di Sharjah 2023 e Cluj-Napoca 2024, il workshop ha posto al centro l’uso della fotogrammetria 3D per la creazione di repliche digitali di manufatti artistici, architettonici e museali.
L’obiettivo principale è stato quello di fornire agli studenti competenze operative nella produzione e gestione di dataset tridimensionali per l’analisi morfometrica, la documentazione accurata e la disseminazione virtuale del patrimonio culturale.
I contenuti hanno riguardato il rilievo digitale, la modellazione reality-based in 3D, le applicazioni del Virtual Heritage e le modalità phygital di fruizione aumentata.
In soli due giorni, attraverso attività intensive di lectures e hands-on training, gli studenti hanno sperimentato l’intero workflow: dalla campagna fotografica per l’acquisizione dei dati, all’elaborazione structure-from-motion, fino all’ottimizzazione dei modelli per la pubblicazione online e l’interazione attraverso piattaforme web.
In questa edizione, il workshop ha potuto contare sul supporto dell’ICCROM Regional Centre in Sharjah, unica sede internazionale extra-UE dell’International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property dal 2012. Grazie alla collaborazione con ICCROM, sono state messe a disposizione alcune repliche museali di particolare dettaglio, utilizzate dagli studenti per le esercitazioni pratiche.
I modelli 3D prodotti tramite fotogrammetria structure-from-motion sono disponibili per la consultazione nella collezione dedicata sulla piattaforma SketchFab.
L’Università di Pavia e l’University of Sharjah collaborano dal 2023 nello studio e nell’applicazione del Digital Heritagee delle phygital experiences per l’analisi, la valorizzazione e la divulgazione sociale del patrimonio architettonico, con particolare attenzione al ruolo dei valori culturali, delle tradizioni locali e dei processi di consapevolezza comunitaria.
Dal 2024 le due università hanno firmato un Memorandum of Understanding (referenti per UniPv: prof.ssa Francesca Picchio e dott.ssa Raffaella De Marco, attraverso il laboratorio DAda-LAB.) e, dal 2025, tale collaborazione rientra tra le attività della COST Action “CRICULT”, dedicata allo studio dei fattori di crisi e delle strategie di resilienza per il patrimonio culturale, a cui la dott.ssa De Marco e il Dr. Nofal partecipano come Secondary Proposers e active Working Group members.
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International Workshop on Digital Heritage – 3rd Edition in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
The 3rd edition of the international workshop “Digital Discoveries in Architectural Heritage: From 3D Mapping to Phygital Experiences” was held from 28th to 30th October 2025 in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), jointly organised and coordinated by the University of Pavia and the University of Sharjah.
The event took place at the Department of Architectural Engineering of the University of Sharjah and was coordinated by Dr Raffaella De Marco, Marie Curie Fellow Researcher from the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture at the University of Pavia, and Dr Eslam Nofal, Assistant Professor from the Department of Architectural Engineering and coordinator of the Master’s program in Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage at the University of Sharjah.
The workshop targeted students enrolled in the PhD Program in Science and Technology for Heritage Conservation Management and in the Master’s program in Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage (coordinated in collaboration with ICCROM). The initiative provided a structured introduction to Digital Heritage methodologies, with a particular focus on 3D digitisation processes applied to architectural, artistic, and museum heritage.
Now in its 3rd edition, following Sharjah 2023 and Cluj-Napoca 2024, the workshop centred on the use of 3D photogrammetry for the creation of digital replicas of heritage artefacts. Its aim was to equip students with practical skills in the production and management of 3D datasets for morphometric analysis, high-precision documentation, and the virtual dissemination of cultural sites.
Topics included Digital Survey, reality-based 3D modelling, Virtual Heritage applications, and phygital strategies for enhanced user engagement. Over two intensive days, students participated in lectures and hands-on training that guided them through a complete workflow: from photographic survey and structure-from-motion processing to model optimisation for online publication and augmented digital access.
This edition benefited from the collaboration of the ICCROM Regional Centre in Sharjah, the only extra-EU international office of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property since 2012. Thanks to ICCROM, high-detail replicas of museum objects were provided for practical exercises.
All 3D models developed through structure-from-motion photogrammetry are available for public viewing on the dedicated SketchFab collection.
Since 2023, University of Pavia and University of Sharjah have been collaborating on research activities related to Digital Heritage and phygital experiences, exploring their potential for the study, dissemination, and social engagement of Architectural Heritage. Their joint activities focus on cultural value assessment, community awareness, and innovative forms of virtual and hybrid communication for heritage.
In 2024, the two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (UniPv contacts: Prof Francesca Picchio and Dr Raffaella De Marco, through DAda-LAB. research and didactic laboratory), and since 2025 their collaboration has also been integrated into the COST Action “CRICULT”, dedicated to analysing crisis dynamics and resilience strategies in cultural heritage, with Dr De Marco and Dr Nofal involved as Secondary Proposers and active Working Groups members.
Cover: Group of participants to the 2025 workshop, in the center: Dr. Raffaella De Marco (UniPv), prof. Emad Mushtaha (Head of Dept. of Architectural Engineering, University of Sharjah), Dr. Eslam Nofal (UoS).
Figure 1: Participants during the photographic acquisition activities at ICCROM headquarter.
Figure 2: 3D model on the replica of marble head of the goddess Tyche, from Jordan Archaeological Museum, Amman, Jordan, developed during the workshop.