CyArk and Iron Mountain Digitally Preserve Philippines' San Sebastian Basilica

Iron Mountain Incorporated

2019-10-30 20:30 4287

World's First Steel Basilica Threatened by Corrosion; 3D Virtual Scanning Project Supports Preservation Project and Free Public Access

BOSTON and OAKLAND, California, Oct. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Iron Mountain Incorporated®, the global leader in storage and information management, and CyArk, a heritage preservation non-profit, today announced a new project to 3D map and model the San Sebastian Basilica in Manila, Philippines, the world's first all-steel basilica. This project, the latest through Iron Mountain and CyArk's ongoing partnership, continues their shared mission to digitally capture, archive and share the world's cultural and historical heritage.

The San Sebastian Basilica, located in Manila, Philippines, was first constructed in 1621. Since then, it has been rebuilt four times due to damage from conflict, fire and earthquakes. Today, the steel basilica faces new challenges, including corrosion from salt air from Manila bay and water infiltration. The San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation and The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Philippines began a conservation project to restore the monument, and sought a partnership with CyArk and Iron Mountain to digitize the Basilica's interior and exterior for future preservation efforts.

"The San Sebastian Basilica represents so much cultural and religious history as one of the few all-metal churches in the world, and the country's first basilica,'' said Claire Vitug, technical director of the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation. "Five years ago, the basilica was digitally recorded and the work this week with CyArk will help the technical team discern whether corrosion has progressed in measurable ways as they continue the path on the restoration project. The data generated from this project will also arm future generations with the materials they'll need to conserve the basilica."

Over the course of a week, CyArk will use 3D mapping technology, including laser scanners and digital imaging from the ground and air via drones to create an accurate and precise 3D model of the site as it exists today. Following the capture process, CyArk will deliver architectural drawings and maps of the Basilica to be used in ongoing conservation efforts and that can be used as an accurate point in time record to monitor change over time. All data from the San Sebastian Basilica project will be available online on CyArk's website and downloadable through the Open Heritage 3D platform, a project to provide free access to high resolution 3D data of cultural heritage sites across the world.

"The San Sebastian Basilica is one of the iconic monuments of Manila," said John Ristevski, CEO at CyArk. "Through the power of 3D digital documentation, we can help ensure both the physical integrity of this amazing structure as well as share the digital replica with a global audience. We're very excited to play a key part in this preservation project with Iron Mountain, ICOMOS Philippines and the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation."

The digital copies of the San Sebastian Basilica will be preserved in a highly secure Iron Mountain facility, ensuring the safety, protection and availability of the digital record for future use by CyArk and the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation. The San Sebastian Basilica project joins recent CyArk/Iron Mountain collaborations including the digitization of the Stonewall National Monument in New York City; the Moai of Easter Island; the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City; the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, Australia; and Fort York in Toronto.

"Through our partnership with CyArk, we're continuing to identify ways we can use the power of 3D mapping and digital technology to protect the world's shared cultural history," said Peter Hwang, Senior Vice President and GM, Asia at Iron Mountain. "As part of our Living Legacy initiative, we're proud to help preserve and make accessible these works in partnership with CyArk to ensure they're available for future use."

To view the project once completed, please visit CyArk's website.

About CyArk
CyArk is a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 to digitally record, archive and share the world's cultural heritage and ensure that these places continue to inspire wonder and curiosity for decades to come. CyArk strives to share this data in powerful ways, including truly immersive experiences that convey the power of these places, transporting users that may never have a chance to experience them and inspiring others to make the journey.

About Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), founded in 1951, is the global leader for storage and information management services. Trusted by more than 225,000 organizations around the world, and with a real estate network of more than 90 million square feet across more than 1,450 facilities in approximately 50 countries, Iron Mountain stores and protects billions of valued assets, including critical business information, highly sensitive data, and cultural and historical artifacts. Providing solutions that include information management, digital transformation, secure storage, secure destruction, as well as data centers, cloud services and art storage and logistics, Iron Mountain helps customers lower cost and risk, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and enable a digital way of working. Visit http://www.ironmountain.com for more information.