One of Google Arts&Culture missions is to put technology at the service of preserving the gems of our shared cultural heritage. Preservation efforts in-house are led by Chance Coughenour, an archeologist, in collaboration with partner institutions around the world, such as the British Museum, World Monuments Fund, CyArk, ICOMOS, Turquoise Mountain Trust, National Museum of Brazil, Pergamon Museum, among others.

All our preservation projects use state-of-the-art technology at their core - from VR to 3D models and Poly tours. They help us safeguard the treasures of our shared history and to achieve what humans alone would not be able to achieve ie: recreate the Bagan site to its original state before an earthquake.

From a user standpoint, they also allow you to visit sites you may never get the chance to travel to.

Since 2016, GA&C has already launched numerous preservation projects among which:

- Preserving Maya Heritage

- Preserving Iraq’s Heritage

- Preserving Afghan Heritage

- Open Heritage chapter 1 complete with the Bagan experiment, and chapter 2 (launching April 18)

- Ishtar Gate in VR

They all include a mix of 3D modelling, VR and 360° tours and are developed in close collaboration with our key partners. We use the data they collect and our own proprietary technologies to craft beautiful stories at the service of protecting our shared heritage and collective memory.

These projects have been supported in both press (BBC, Wired, The Financial Times, locally relevant press...) and on GA&C owned social channels.