Virtual Preservation of Contemporary Architectural Heritage in Developing Countries in Absence of Protection: Digital Reconstrction, Recording, and Archiving before Complete Disappearance

Abstract

Virtual reconstruction of cultural heritage is limited to the availability of reference materials. This study looks at the state of preservation and archiving of cultural heritage in the Southeast Asia region through reviewing 2 cases in Malaysia. Many iconic heritage buildings were demolished in this country during the past decades without being properly achieved for the future generations. Despite living in the digital era, virtual conservation in this region still lags. This study tries to address some of those issues by looking at the available alternatives (the methodology), and also answering the question, what can be done in absence of archived reference materials while the building is still available? Different areas such as digital reconstruction and its importance, digital archiving, virtual reality, the future usage are covered by this study, including social impacts.