Acropolis Digital Museum, a new world (Athens, Greece)
A Web portal of modern aesthetics that captures the operation and activities of the Museum and provides multidimensional information and entertainment. Presents the Museum and its exhibition spaces, gives information for visiting, periodic exhibitions, activities, events, school and family activities, research, maintenance, new technologies. At the same time, it presents, for the first time on a Greek museum website, all of them making it accessible to the world community, the 2,156 exhibits that includes today, to which will be gradually added and those kept on Archaeological repositories of the Museum, accompanied by extensive descriptions, interactive glossary, bibliography, photos, drawings and in many cases videos.
Background
Located in the historic area of Makryianni, the Museum stands about 300 meters southeast of the Parthenon. Its entrance is adjacent to the start of Dionysiou Areopagitou pedestrian walkway, which links it to the Acropolis and other key archeological sites in Athens. The top floor of the Museum, the Parthenon Gallery, offers a panoramic view of the Acropolis and modern Athens.
The Museum’s exhibition units are mainly topographical and thematic. The first large gallery features a glass-floored ramp that emulates the Acropolis’ slopes and showcases the archaeological discoveries made there. On ascending to the first-floor level, with its initial high ceiling and skylights, one finds displays from the Archaic Acropolis, while in a western section are presented sculptures from the Athena Nike temple and the Erechtheion, as well as architectural members from the Propylaia. The culmination of the Museum’s exhibition plan, the third floor, is devoted exclusively to the sculptures of the Parthenon. The final exhibition unit, reached after returning to the north wing of the first floor, includes works from the 5th cent. BC to the end of antiquity.
Description
The new website www.theacropolismuseum.gr, created within the framework of the program, is a portal that captures the operation and activities of the Museum and provides multidimensional information and entertainment. It presents the Museum and its exhibition spaces, gives information about the visit, the periodical exhibitions, the activities, the events, the school and family activities, the research, the maintenance, the new technologies. At the same time, it presents, for the first time on a Greek museum website, all of its exhibits, making them accessible to the world community. The 2,156 works that it includes today, to which will be gradually added those that are kept in the archaeological repositories of the Museum, are accompanied by extensive descriptions, interactive glossary, bibliography, photographs, drawings and in many cases videos. The website is connected to social media, is available in Greek and English and offers information on the organization of the visit in four additional languages. It has multiple search tools and responsive design to dynamically adapt to all devices. It also provides access to visitors with color blindness and is friendly to visually impaired people. A special website was created for the little friends of the Museum, www.acropolismuseumkids.gr. The website is aimed at children aged 6-12 and invites them to get to know the fascinating world of the Museum while having fun. Imaginative games, fun videos and a range of creative activities motivate them to think, discover, play, experiment and create.
Impact
The 23 digital applications and videos produced under the program significantly enhanced the educational and entertainment process both in the physical space of the Museum and on the internet. Designed according to the general philosophy and museological approach of the Acropolis Museum, they complement the exhibits, increase their comprehensibility, address different ages, consider the diversity of visitors, promote communication between them and offer an advanced experience based on interactive methods
The equipment acquired through the program, enabled the creation of two new spaces on the second floor of the Museum. On the touch screens of the Multimedia Center, visitors can navigate the fascinating stories and adventures of some of the most important works of the Acropolis. In the Children’s Corner, children can enjoy fun digital games and fun videos that bring ancient myths to life, tell wonderful stories and unfold aspects of the daily life of the ancient Athenians. The registration, digitization, photography and 3D scanning work performed ensures the long-term preservation of valuable archival material and offers new possibilities in its management, online exporting, exhibitions, production of interactive material, games and. The Museum Collection Management System (MuseumPlus) registered 27,755 digital files related to 10,557 objects, digitized 496 handwritten excavation calendars, 110,000 photographs, 18,410 movable records and 7,500 conservation records. Also, 500 exhibits were photographed from all sides while 60 of them were scanned by the method of digital photogrammetry.
Interpretation
The Acropolis Museum is dynamically entering the world of digital technology and opening new avenues of communication with its public. The project “Creation of a Digital Acropolis Museum” highlights the multifaceted aspects of its exhibits, offers unique experiences in its museum spaces and on the internet and creates a new, fascinating world for young and old.
References
Author
Header photograph
Michal Huniewicz on Wikimedia Commons.
