We have developed the digital twin, the virtual space and the augmented reality application of Alhambra Living Lab, the project that combines nine technologies to preserve and disseminate the monument.
As a technology company, we are part of the Alhambra Living Lab, the initiative that opens a new stage in the management and dissemination of the Alhambra of Granada. Our role has been to create three complementary experiences: Digital Twin of the monumental ensemble, one virtual space that features the monument in the online environment and an app augmented reality For the in-person visit. Three layers that accompany the visitor before, during, and after touring the premises.
A World Heritage Site that prepares for the future
Alhambra Living Lab It is an initiative promoted by the Digital Agency of Andalusia in collaboration with the Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, the University of Granada and Libelium. The project combines up to nine technologies with a dual objective: to preserve the monument in a preventive manner and to disseminate its cultural value. It has an investment of over 2.3 million euros, co-financed by the European funds of NextGenerationEU within the Retech (Spain Living Lab) program.
The starting point was demanding. The Alhambra It receives more than 2.7 million visitors per year and extends over 345 hectares declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The challenge was to expand the experience beyond the one-time visit and open it up to audiences who may not always be able to reach Granada. With a clear premise: technology should be at the service of the cultural narrative, and not the other way around.
Digital twin and virtual space: the Alhambra from anywhere
To build the Digital Twin We conducted a drone flight with state-of-the-art photogrammetry cameras. With those images, we created an interactive map of the monument, with its points of interest, guided routes, and filters by category. This tool serves to plan the visit, guide you during the tour, and allow you to explore it again afterwards.
From that map you can also access virtual space: a replica of Carlos V's Palace that allows you to enjoy its architecture beyond a physical visit. To achieve its level of realism and detail, we applied the Gaussian splatting technique. Thus, people with physical, economic, or geographical limitations can have their first experience with the monument from anywhere in the world.
All the photogrammetric material captured during these months of work is now available to the Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife. It will serve as the basis for future restorations of the complex.
Augmented reality to discover closed spaces to the public
The third layer is activated during the visit. We have integrated an app into the tourist route. augmented reality which allows you to discover, in person, spaces that are usually closed to the public. Among them are the Torre de la Cautiva, the Peinador de la Reina and the Baño de Comares.
The app accompanies each space with narrative and contextual information. The visitor not only sees what was previously out of their reach: they also understand its history and its value. It is the technology that goes unnoticed, the one that lets the monument speak for itself.
The three solutions work in a coordinated way. Together they turn the visit into a continuous cycle: it is prepared from home, enriched in the venue, and then extended in the digital environment.
Héctor Paz, CEO and co-founder of Imascono, summarizes it as follows: «Working at the Alhambra is a great responsibility. Our goal has been to ensure that technology enhances the monument without taking away its prominence, and that anyone, wherever they are, can approach it.».
With more than 700 projects developed and 115 million users in 120 countries, we continue to accompany the Cultural and tourist institutions in his digital evolution. You can find out all the details in our Case of success of the Alhambra.
