Rosslyn Chapel’s renowned stonework can now be appreciated more easily all over the world thanks to a new app launched at the Chapel.
The app has been developed for Rosslyn Chapel Trust by The Centre for Digital Documentation and Visualisation (CDDV), a partnership between specialists at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and experts in 3D visualisation at The School of Simulation and Visualisation at the GSA. Since 2008, the interior and exterior of the Chapel and its grounds have been digitally documented using laser scanning technology and the results have been used to create unique features in the app such as animations showing how the medieval Chapel was constructed, a virtual tour and a 360-degree panoramic tour.
Ian Gardner, Director of Rosslyn Chapel Trust said: ‘Rosslyn Chapel is known throughout the world for its unique architecture and ornate stonework and we hope that this app will introduce the Chapel to new audiences in an innovative way and inspire future generations of visitors.’
Alastair Rawlinson, Head of Data Acquisition in the School of Simulation and Visualisation at the GSA and Project Manager at CDDV said: ‘We have undertaken 3D laser scanning at Rosslyn Chapel over the course of several years, and our skilled team has been able to apply cutting-edge digital gaming technologies to transform these laser scans and other 3D data into a rich interactive and explorable experience.’
Dr Lyn Wilson, Digital Documentation Manager at HES and Project Manager at CDDV said: ‘This is an exciting day for us as we launch our dynamic and innovative app. It cements our longstanding relationship with Rosslyn Chapel Trust, which has been a great template for collaborative working with other partners across the country. The app is a fantastic way of giving digital access to this beautiful site, which is something we’re looking to do a lot more of at HES in the future – and of course we hope this digital glimpse of Rosslyn Chapel will encourage even more visits to the Chapel itself.’
The new app can be downloaded from the App Store for £1.99.
Photo: Ross Kay and Sarah MacEwan are first to try out the new app