Take a virtual tour of Notre-Dame, the Paris icon, at this augmented exhibition
An augmented-reality show is coming to Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, celebrating the history and reopening of the landmark after the devastating 2019 fire
The years roll back from the present day to April 15, 2019, as drone footage of the historic fire that engulfed the Viollet-le-Duc spire of the Notre-Dame de Paris flashes across the screen of the tablet in my hands. A few moments later, I look up and I’m standing in front of the altar of the cavernous cathedral, within a 3D version of Napoleon Bonaparte crowning his virtual wife, Josephine, recreating the monumental 1807 painting, The Coronation of Napoleon.
Then, the projections change and I’m hovering above the Seine, gazing down on the Île de la Cité in the 17th century, with the Notre-Dame towering above the city’s pre-Haussmann chimneys.
These vignettes are just snapshots of a centuries-spanning narrative brought to life as part of “Notre-Dame de Paris, The Augmented Exhibition”, a showcase of technology and history opening to the public on December 8, the same day that the cathedral will host its first public mass in Paris after a five-year, US$1 billion restoration.
Put together by French cultural and educational organisation Visionairs, and taking place in WestK Art Park in Kowloon, the exhibition will run until March 7, 2025, to engage audiences with the rich history of the iconic Neo-Gothic monument through innovative augmented reality (AR) technology and a careful curation of artefacts.
At the heart of this exhibition is the HistoPad, a portable touch-screen tablet developed by French AR studio Histovery that serves as a gateway for visitors to explore 20 “time portals” – essentially plinths scattered around the exhibition space and printed with a QR code that visitors can scan using the HistoPad to delve into key moments that have taken place at the Notre-Dame cathedral, from its 12th century origins to its current state, post-restoration.
“Converting history into a VR experience inspires so many people to experience the past,” says Visionairs co-founder Lydie Blandeau. “It’s 360 degrees, transporting visitors to another space and time.”
