Documenting and Conserving Modern Architectural Heritage: Çağlayan Apartment Building İzmir-Karşiyaka

Abstract The conservation and transferring of cultural heritage to future generations have been facilitated by the increasing development of digital modeling and architectural visualization software. With the help of a virtual environment, heritage data can be archived more permanently and accessed by numerous users. This paper aims to put forward how heritage from a certain period can be documented, analyzed, and transferred using different digital techniques. Additionally, it claims that as a method, digital documentation is a practice that also contributes to different areas including culture, education, and tourism. Within the scope of this paper, Çağlayan Apartment Building from Karşıyaka, İzmir was selected as a case study for applying the digital documentation method. The methodology of the research comprises the following steps: literature review, on-site observation, identification of the period, area and specific case(s), photo shooting, having measured drawings, archive scanning, oral history studies, 2D architectural drawings in CAD medium, 3D modeling/rendering, illustration and poster preparation, website, e-catalog, and social media designs. In conclusion, it has been revealed that digital documentation of modern architectural heritage including interior elements has a positive impact on three interrelated areas: cultural sustainability, educational activities, and touristic popularity.