Warwick District offers unique opportunity to explore the past

Warwick District Council has partnered with local technology company RiVR (Reality in Virtual Reality) to create the interactive “Windows into the Past” history exhibition in an empty retail unit on Market Street in Warwick.

Famous historic buildings and objects across Warwick have been scanned by RiVR using a process called photogrammetry. Thousands of photos are taken from multiple angles and stitched together into a fully interactive 3D model. 

The exhibition, installed in the former TSB unit on Market Street, allows people to scan QR codes using their phone to fully interact with these models, with the ability to zoom in and examine them in detail.

The Lord Leycester Hospital, Warwick Castle, Randolph Turpin’s statue, items from Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum’s extensive collection and a full model of the town as it looked in Medieval times can all be scanned and interacted with.

Brothers Alex Harvey and Joe Harvey, co-founders of RiVR, added: “Having grown up in Warwick it has been a pleasure to mix work with our passion for history. We’re looking forward to sharing this new technology with more people, by integrating these experiences into historic locations in the area.

The project has been made possible thanks to the team at RiVR, Littlefish Creative and with funding from HM Government’s Welcome Back Fund which utilises the European Regional Development Fund.

The artwork will remain in place for the next few months as part of Warwick District Council’s CultureFest, which celebrates the arts and heritage venues, artists, and creatives in the District during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The Harvey Brothers added: ““Working with forward thinking sites such as The Lord Leycester Hospital, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, Warwick Castle, Market Hall Museum and St Mary’s Church, our aim is to put Warwick and the surrounding area on the map as a pioneering area for digital historical interpretation.”