Exhibition at the entrance lobby: Restoration work of the East Gate of Ta Nei Temple, Angkor, Cambodia

AR presentation image of the East Gate after the superstructure was dismantled (technically supported by YAMADA Osamu (Project Professor, Tokyo University of Arts Graduate School))

　A year-long permanent exhibition is being held at the Institute’s entrance lobby. Each department or center of the Institute takes turns to arrange this exhibition in yearly shifts to introduce the result of research and projects to the public. In the year of 2020, the exhibition provides an introduction to the ongoing restoration work of the East Gate, as a part of the cooperation project for the conservation and sustainable development of Ta Nei Temple, Angkor, Cambodia. Over two decades, the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation of the Institute has been involved in the cooperation activities at this temple.
　In Angkor, since the 1990s when Cambodia emerged from its domestic and political turmoil, the international community including Japan, France, the United States, India, and China has supported conservation initiatives aiming to preserve and repair the splendid architecture in the magnificent monuments, representing the glory of ancient Cambodia. At Ta Nei Temple, it is tried to take the objective of international support a step forward, and promote sustainable heritage conservation in Cambodian circumstances under the conservation masterplan jointly prepared by the Institute and the Cambodian government’s Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and Region of Siem Reap (APSARA). The restoration work of the East Gate is the first case to be explored under this conservation masterplan. The Institute provides technical advice and proposals about restoration methods and procedures as well as conducts architectural surveys and archaeological excavations at each phase of the restoration process, while APSARA ensures the budget and implements the onsite work.
　Digital documentation techniques, such as 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry—with rapid progress rates—are actively adopted during onsite research activities. Regarding photogrammetry, a full-scale, straightforward application has already been put into commercial use at accessible prices. It could be utilized as a technique with high versatility in the field of heritage conservation in Cambodia and abroad. We have tried to use such digital data during the exhibition, introducing electronic presentations with AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) technologies, to provide an interactive experience of the site. We hope that this exhibition rouses your interest in the Institute’s international cooperation efforts for heritage conservation.
http://www.tobunken.go.jp/info/panel200704/index_e.html