Overview

To accompany an exhibition of beautifully detailed relief maps of French fortified towns at the Grand Palais in Paris, the Google Cultural Institute created digitised 3D models of seven of these intricate handmade models. In partnership with la Maison de l'Histoire de la France, the Cultural Institute also loaned two Liquid Galaxy installations to the 'France en Relief' exhibition so that the public can explore these detailed digital versions of France's heritage. The Liquid Galaxies are digital displays that provide an immersive Google Earth experience like never before. Created mostly for military purposes by artisans of the 17th and 18th centuries, many of these relief maps are housed at the Musee des Plans Reliefs in Paris but not on public display. When this special exhibition was created at the Grand Palais, featuring some of the never-before seen maps, the Cultural Institute team was keen to be involved. We wanted to find a way to make these beautiful pieces accessible to a wider audience by creating digital versions which can be downloaded and viewed using Google Earth.