Looking Back in History – the Reconstruction of the Erfurt, Germany, Synagogue

Under the direction of Henning Weidhase, the design studio lintje GbR recreated a piece of history.

Under the direction of Henning Weidhase, the design studio lintje GbR recreated a piece of history by creating an iPod Touch application that shows the various construction phases of the old synagogue over the centuries, making it accessible for a broad audience.

This project posed the challenge of recreating the synagogue true-to-history in its natural surroundings, yet using a stylized and simplified approach for better visual communication to the audience.

First phases of construction were reproduced with splines in CINEMA 4D using floor plans, cross-sections and sketches as reference. These splines were then extruded in CINEMA 4D and modified accordingly. Details such as window arcs, the bimah, rosette, etc. were modeled using sketches as reference and subsequently positioned inside the structure. CINEMA 4D’s flexible shader system was used to create the materials for the synagogue.

The team at lintje used CINEMA 4D’s Pose Mixer to create seamless transitions for the camera flights, making it easy to match the timing of the animation of the various construction phases to the narrator’s voice.

"A comparison with what remains of the synagogue today is surprising and interesting”, says Weidhase. “This makes a very special view of the renovated ruins of the synagogue possible, with a unique view of the many details in architecture and their very own history.”

Client
Albrecht von Kirchbach
Interior Architecture + Design
www.kirchbach.de/

Project: syntropy
www.project-syntropy.de

State capitol, Erfurt
alte-synagoge.erfurt.de/jle/de/

Realizaiton
lintje GbR
www.lintje.de