Together with the Italian Tobacconist Federation (FIT) we have designed the new virtual tour dedicated to the Tobacco Shop Museum, physically located in Rome in via degli Orti di Trastevere, 72.
‘The past is essential for building the future‘. From this concept, a new design has been conceived, bringing online the well-known value of the tobacconist category through an immersive experience within the history and heritage of the tobacconists and the Federation.
The project was aimed at making the physical exhibition space a real virtual visit usable in Web, Tablet and Mobile mode.
Virtual tour
We decided to use Matterport™ as a technological solution to develop a series of interactive and dynamic multilevel information, thanks to the extensive Historical Archive made available by FIT containing countless documents, photographs and objects, as well as research and interviews. The goal was to involve visitors in an experience capable of producing a significantly new emotional and informative impact compared to the past. The physical exhibition space, where ancient and modern come together in a perfect union, is now accessible to everyone on the Tobacco Museum website.
The Dollhouse Views by Matterport has been designed using professional tools capable of acquiring the floor plan and processing a fully interactive 3D photorealistic version. The virtual experience thus created helps users to visualize the sequence of the exhibition rooms and the spatial relationship between the areas of interest in perspective. This system allows to navigate in any direction more quickly and have a clear view of the spaces, which would have been impossible by using only 2D videos or photos.
In fact, with the integration of virtual reality, the immersive experience is completed. Wearing the VR viewer and browsing the Museum website, it is possible to explore the actual rooms, even staying at home, from the sofa, without the need of downloading specific apps or software.
A more accessible museum
The virtual tour is enriched by the ‘Tags‘ feature designed by Matterport ™️. The 3D model provides pop-up windows for the historical elements, which enhance the digital path with additional audio and video content. The feature, essential for highlighting the points of interest within the tour, allows users to explore topics related to the world of tobacconists with notes, links, images and engaging multimedia content. All Mattertags™ are visible from any angle and point of view in the 3D model. Following the signs, the visit ends in the FIT Historical Archive room.
The Measurement mode makes the specific dimensions of each element present in the physical space accessible from any device. Thanks to this mode, it is possible to optimize time, always have all the technical-functional specifications available and intelligently manage space planning.
The virtual tour was then followed by the design and creation of an audio guide and a CMS that allowed FIT to independently manage the entire application ecosystem designed for the Virtual Museum.
Each element can be explored both by online users and visitors to the Museum, thus creating a connection between the physical and digital environment. By scanning the specific QR Codes installed, it is possible to directly access the photo galleries and free audio guides. Virtual and real meet to offer an utterly interconnected experience.
