Holocaust History Center Uses Virtual Reality to Increase Millenials’ Awareness

The Holocaust History Center in Tucson, AZ has released its first 3D virtual walkthrough. Covering all sections of the exhibition, the 3D tour serves as a hi-tech tool to increase awareness of the Holocaust among millenials and young Americans.

Tucson, United States – March 16, 2017 /PressCable/ —

Under the leadership of its Executive Director Bryan Davis and the guidance of Thomas Saylen-Brown of SBBL Architecture, the Holocaust History Center (HHC) in Tucson has just released the first virtual walkthrough of the museum. Covering every section of the exhibition, the 3-dimensional walkthrough is intended to increase awareness of the Holocaust among technology-savvy ‘millenials’ and young Americans. The virtual reality tour also helps visitors link the origins of the Holocaust to modern-day genocidal violence and human rights abuses.

Astonishingly, two-thirds of the world population today knows nothing about the Holocaust. In the U.S. the millenial generation is unable to connect the dots between the implementation of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany and the existence of the State of Israel.

Both Bryan Davis and Thomas Sayler-Brown, President of SBBL Architecture&Planning, see the 3-dimensional walkthrough as a communication tool for millenials, most of whom have no personal connection with the Holocaust. The hi-tech tool overcomes three obstacles to the mission of the HHC: (1) the Center isn’t a typical touristic destination for American teenagers and young adults; (2) the HHC intends to carry its message well beyond Tucson and Southern Arizona; (3) the small size of the HHC precludes visits by large groups.

The use of 3D virtual technology familiar to younger generations enables the HHC to make its educational message available 24/7 on the internet, whether on computer or mobile devices, in any environment: classrooms, homes, coffee shops and the workplace. The 3D technology modeling the HHC renders details and lighting with photographic quality, in a way that respects the vision of the architect.

In this regard, Thomas Sayler-Brown comments: “We designed the architecture of the HHC to create a high sense of personal experience. Some visitors shared they felt as if on a train on its way to Auschwitz. Others felt the dark atmosphere of a camp. The use of materials such as raw wood, bare steel and unfinished concrete heightens the sensory input of the visit. The lighting with its bright spots and areas of darkness leaves a lot to personal interpretation.”

The Executive Director of the HHC, Bryan Davis, says: “The Holocaust History Center collapses the distance that many feel in both time and space from this history. The Holocaust remains part of our living present. Survivors of the Holocaust are still vibrant and among us. By illuminating the history of the Holocaust through the life experiences of individuals who were there and are now (or have been) here in Tucson, the Center creates a sense of connection, immediacy and urgency. We must work together in a sustained way to create a more just and peaceful world.”

The Virtual Walkthrough now published on the sites of the Holocaust History Center and of SBBL Architecture & Planning is the first version of this 3-dimensional tool. Architect Thomas Sayler-Brown predicts that “the virtual walkthrough is bound to be improved as time goes by to refer from within the 3D model to relevant video clips and other documents which will provide a more complete educational experience to our online visitors.”

The 3D virtual walkthrough was created by Phil Chavanne, photographer at Shots Deluxe in Tucson, as an homage to the Holocaust History Center.

Contacts:

Thomas Sayler-Brown, Architect, SBBL (520) 620-0255 tsb@sbbl.biz

Bryan Davis, Executive Director, HHC (520) bdavis@jfsa.org

Contact Info:
Name: Thomas Sayler-Brown
Organization: SBBL Architecture & Planning
Address: 100 North Stone Avenue Suite 905, Tucson, AZ 85701, United States
Phone: +1-520-620-0255

For more information, please visit http://SBBL.biz

Source: PressCable

Release ID: 178247