Metropolitan Cathedral After The Earthquake

How CyArk created a 3D model to help restore the building's ornate architecture

Built on top of the capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan, the design of Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral was influenced by a mix of the indigenous and colonial history of the area.

On September 19, 2017, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City and damaged the cathedral and its iconic bell towers.

To help assess the damage, the site managers asked for help to digitally document the site.

The entire monument was mapped with laser scanning.

In total, over 600 scans were taken to capture every little detail.

Drones were used to document the interior of the cathedral.

The drones recorded the ornate design of the Retablo de los Reyes, a golden altar built in the 1700s in the Churrigueresque style.

Drones were also used to document the red brick arching roofs of the cathedral buildings. 

The laser scan data and images from drones were combined together to create a high resolution 3D model that could be used to develop a restoration plan. 

Read more on Google Arts & Culture

artsandculture.google.com