We’re proud to announce that we have been working closely with Europeana, the European Union’s digital repository for cultural heritage to help add new dimensions to the preservation of the continent’s history: 3D and VR.
Over 3,000 institutes contribute to the platform and are adding more and more Sketchfab scenes daily.
From internationally recognized names such as the Louvre and the British Library to smaller regional museums from every member country of the European Union, Europeana houses over 54 million artworks, artifacts, books, videos, and sound files from across the continent.
The Newgrange, in County Meath, Ireland is just one of the many heritage sites shared on Europeana by The Discovery Programme, the Centre for Advanced Irish Archaeologic Research:
The platform was initiated in 2005 by European premiers to ensure Europe’s cultural heritage would be assessable to all via the internet. The initiative went live in 2008 launching with 4.5 million contributions.
Many institutions began digitizing antiquities early in this process, but it is only in recent years with the introduction of technologies like Sketchfab that the opportunity to share these experiences in 3D (and now VR) has been possible.
Belgian Europeana Contributor Visual Dimension uses Sketchfab to share digital reconstructions of past European life based on historic data:
Europeana is growing thanks to Sketchfab, but there’s still much more to do.
If you represent a European Cultural Institution, remember that we proudly offer free PRO Business accounts to show our support for the important work you do. And if you are interested in learning more about sharing your Sketchfab collection with Europeana, get in touch with us to learn more.