Cross-Referencing Historical Data to virtually Reconstruct in 3D the Shaikh Mubarak Al-Kabeer Palace

Abstract

Despite its historical value, a reconstruction of the vanished Sheikh Mubarak Al-Kabeer (SMK) (1840-1915) Palace has never been realized. Few fragmented historical drawings, photographs, literatures, aerial images, maps, and verbal descriptions recalled by few living individuals form the only existing physical data about this significant Kuwaiti vernacular structure. This present study attempted to analyze and combine these fragmented historical data to generate the 1st 3D digital model of the palace‟s external envelope, in 1951. The study argues that if the clear aerial image of the 1951 Kuwait City was scientifically analyzed and crossreferenced with the data acquired from historical paintings, photographs, literature, many significant 3D aspects of the palace‟s external envelope can be revealed. The current study seeks to present a base for a research tool that could be applicable for many vanished architectural monuments of the 1951 Kuwait City, thus, preserves significant parts of the lost Kuwait vernacular architecture and raise awareness of these important historical monuments.