CAHRISMA – “Conservation of the Acoustical Heritage by the Revival and Identification of the Sinains Mosques Acoustics”

Period: February 2000 - February 2003 Type: European Research Status: Completed

Overview

Main objective of the CAHRISMA project which took start at the beginning of the February 2000, is to innovate the concept of Hybrid Architectural Heritage. Hybrid Architectural Heritage is a new way of identification that covers acoustical characteristics besides visual peculiarities. It states that, for the spaces, having acoustical importance, architectural heritage concept should be upgraded covering acoustical and visual properties. The effects of this improvement will reflect to actual implementation of conservation and restoration.

Specific scientific and technological goals of CAHRISMA project are summarised as follows:

Identification of the recent and initial acoustical peculiarities of the Sinans mosques and Byzantine churches, by acoustical measurements and computer aided modelling tools.
Evaluation of psycho-acoustical and subjective characteristics of these worship spaces.
Integration of acoustical and visual virtual environments into an interactive 3D real-time system.
Creation of an integrated real-time system for CD-ROM of 3D architectural models with realistic virtual humans.
Comparison of the mosques and churches acoustics and review of the acoustical influence of Byzantine churches on Sinans mosques.
Determination of the optimum acoustical conditions for mosques by the comparison of subjective parameters obtained from psycho-acoustical surveys with the objective parameters obtained from measurements and calculations.
Conservation and restoration of the selected monuments architectural heritage country: “acoustical and visual” in a virtual environment.

By the achievement of the objectives and goals of this wide frame research, conceptual and practical innovations and improvements in the fields of acoustics, lighting, simulation technologies, architecture, conservation – restoration and tourism will be created. Besides the conservation of the architectural heritage and the development in the related scientific fields, this project will contribute to the increase of interest for historical monuments and enhance touristical curiosity, attracting attentions to a different feature.

MIRALab’s contribution

Real-time visualisation of selected spaces
Creation of people country: “virtual bodies, faces and cloth textures”
Animation of virtual humans
Integration of visual and acoustical models into a virtual 3D interactive system

Partners

Ecole Polytechnique Féderale de Lausanne, Virtual Reality Laboratory country: VRLab
Switzerland
vrlab.epfl.ch

Institut National de Recherche sur les Transports et leur Securite
France
www.inrets.fr

MIRALab, University of Geneva
Switzerland
www.miralab.unige.ch

Technical University of Denmark
Denmark
www.dtu.dk/index_e.htm

Universita degli Studi de Ferrara
Italy
www.unife.it

University of Malta
Malta
www.um.edu.mt

Yildiz Teknik Üniversitesi
Turkey
www.iib.yildiz.edu.tr