For the bicentenary of Napoleon's death, the Mobilier national presented "Palais disparus de Napoléon", Napoleon's lost palaces, at the Galerie des Gobelins in Paris, from 15 September 2021 to 15 January 2022. The Tuileries, Saint-Cloud and Meudon burned down in 1870 and 1871; their furniture and decor, moved to safety before the conflict, were brought together for the exhibition. The Mobilier national wanted to extend it with a free online experience, designed to complement the visit.
Socle designed the experience with historian Philippe Le Pareux, a specialist in the 3D modelling of the lost palaces. It opens in a virtual replica of the Galerie des Gobelins: 3D models of the exteriors of the three palaces, with a selection of their furniture. Five pieces from the collections, including the bust of Napoleon, were scanned by photogrammetry in the Perret storeroom. Visitors get closer to the King of Rome's armchair or a 19th-century console than any gallery allows.
The journey continues at the Tuileries: seven rooms rebuilt on Unreal Engine from historical sources, 1,900 m² in all, with textures up to 8K and free movement in real-time 3D. More than 500 objects, furniture, works of art, textiles and decorative elements, are returned to their historical context. Labels and points of interest tell the story of the rooms; a quiz answered correctly brings a detail of the decor to life, and colours, textures and materials reveal themselves before the visitor's eyes.
The experience runs on a computer, streamed, with nothing to install, in about 25 minutes. It can be visited before or after a trip to the Gobelins, from home.
Commissioned by the Mobilier national. Historical advice: Philippe Le Pareux. Design, development and scanning: Socle.
