The invisible layer
Every heritage site has a hidden story. The building that used to stand here. The fresco beneath the whitewash. The original colors of the statue, now grey with time. The market that filled this now-empty square.
Augmented reality makes the invisible visible — overlaying digital content on the physical world, in real time, through a screen.
WebAR: no app required
The biggest barrier to AR adoption in cultural contexts used to be: “visitors won’t download an app.” WebAR removes that barrier entirely.
How it works: The visitor scans a QR code → a web page opens in their browser → the camera activates → digital content appears overlaid on the real world. No download, no account, no storage space needed.
What’s possible: - 3D models of disappeared buildings, visible on their original site - Animated overlays on static artworks (original colors, construction stages) - Audio-visual stories triggered by specific locations - Interactive elements (touch to reveal, rotate to explore)
Use cases for cultural institutions
Museum / exhibition
- Show the original context of a displaced artifact
- Animate a painting (reveal underdrawings, show the artist’s process)
- Provide multilingual content without physical signage
Heritage site / archaeological site
- Reconstruct missing elements (columns, roofs, decoration)
- Show historical layers (this wall in 1200, 1500, 1800, today)
- Create a self-guided tour (the AR IS the guide)
Urban heritage / city walk
- Point the phone at a building → see its historical facade
- Walk through a neighborhood → discover what was there before
- Connect places through a narrative (follow a character’s path through history)
What it costs
| Level | What you get | Budget range | |