Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico

CyArk documented the Palacio de Bellas Artes in October 2018 in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA) and the Agenda Digital de Cultura office of the Secretaria de Cultura. The focus of the expedition was to document the monument's exterior surfaces as well as the main theatre and stage within the building. CyArk used a combination of laser scanning with a FARO X330 and terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry completed with a Nikon D810 and Phantom 4 Pro drone. Access to the roof of the monument was provided to CyArk staff as the chief architect of the Palacio wanted accurate records of the utility ducting that surrounds the structure. Since the monument is highly trafficked, CyArk took advantage of a planned closure of the monument to document the gardens and front facade.

The Sala Principal, or main stage, within the Cathedral features a one-of-a-kind stage curtain made by Tiffany’s in New York and a decorated stained glass ceiling. The transparent ceiling above the seats depict Apollo, surrounded by the nine muses and was created by the Hungarian artist Géza Maróti. Weighing over twenty-four tons, the stage curtain is composed of over a million pieces of stained glass. The mosaic curtain depicts the two volcanoes of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl that overlook the valley of Mexico with significant flora and fauna of Mexico. The volcanoes also have mythological importance.