The Shipping Galleries at the Science Museum were 3D scanned before their decommissioning in 2012. A total of 276 scans were taken of the space and its exhibits to create a digital model of over 2 billion precisely measured points.
This digital replica has been used to create a virtual flythrough of the gallery spaces with curator David Rooney providing detailed narration about the key exhibits and artefacts. The next stage of work is currently underway to launch an online, navigable version of the galleries with which the public can interact.
Archiving the Shipping Galleries digitally prolongs their legacy beyond their physical installation. As a digital record of both the space and its exhibits the scan model has the potential to continue this exhibition and the discussion around its content online, reaching a wider digital audience.
