3D DOCUMENTATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE: THE CASE STUDY OF BANTEAY SREI TEMPLE IN ANGKOR, SIEM REAP

Abstract. 3D documentation and visualization of cultural heritage has a great significance in preserving the memories and history, and supports cultural tourism. It is of great importance to study the 3D reconstruction of cultural relics and historic sites. Preservation, visualization of valuable cultural heritage has always been a difficult challenge. With the developments of photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning, 3D models were able to obtained quickly and accurately. In this paper we present the survey and 3D modelling of an ancient temple, Banteay Srei, situated in Angkor, which has long been admired as a “Precious Gem” of Khmer Art for its miniature size of structures and exceptional refinement of the sculptures. The survey was performed with FARO Focus^3D 330 and FARO Focus^3D 120 terrestrial laser scanners, a micro unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (DJI Phantom 4 Pro) and a digital camera (Nikon D90). Once the acquired scans were properly merged, a 3D model was generated from the global point cloud, and plans, sections and elevations were extracted from it for restoration purposes. A short multimedia video was also created for the “Digital Banteay Srei”. In the paper we will discuss all the steps and challenges addressed to provide the 3D model of Banteay Srei Temple.