The Persian Empire, despite its profound influence, is often overlooked in Western reviews of ancient history. This oversight inspired The Getty Villa to mount a sweeping exhibition of the ancient superpower, Persia: Ancient Iran and the Classical World. To help visitors deepen both their emotional connection and knowledge of Persia, an on-site, 360-degree immersive experience transports them to a historically-accurate 3D content recreation of the ancient capital of Persepolis. Touring its palaces and plazas, the experience sought to both inform and inspire visitors—reviving the past for a modern audience.

In designing the digital-native experience, our objective was not to replicate the gallery space but rather give visitors a different way to discover the past. By exploring palaces and plazas, they learn about the rich heritage of ancient Iran firsthand and witness artifacts from the exhibition in context. The process of bringing Persepolis Reimagined to life required a Herculean level of collaboration. Narrative development for both the website and immersive film required a deep understanding of ancient history, which many spend a lifetime studying in great detail. The Getty, one of the most prominent purveyors of history, shared a library’s worth of knowledge to help distill the most important components, together with curators, historians and professors who provided expert opinion.

Working from an expertly crafted 3D model of Persepolis provided designed by The Getty, the reconstructed model was updated alongside The Getty and UCLA professors to capture every architectural aspect of Persepolis. This included mapping out the city; figuring out the layout and historical purpose of each room within the palaces; and reproducing statues and reliefs along with period-appropriate textures and colors, from the limestone and mudbrick walls to the wooden cedar roofs, and everything in between.