The Pearl of Żeliszów

Aerial photogrammetry 3d scan of a XVII century evangelic church by Carl Gotthard Langhans.

What is ‘The Peral’?

The church was constructed based on a design by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans, who also designed the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. It served as a church for the local Evangelical community until 1945.

THE PROCESS

Despite challenging weather conditions, including strong winds, multiple launches were carried out to ensure data accuracy

photographs

Approximately one thousand photos were captured during the flight, which were then processed using photogrammetry techniques to create a detailed 3D model of the exterior of Perła Żeliszów.

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hours of processing

Creating a photogrammetry scan of the church was only teh first step of the project. Aligning the photos and creating the digital reconstruction was the main challenge.

The outcomes

How to scan a XVIII church? How to present the outcomes?

Outcome #1

3d MODEL AND 360 photos

The 3d photogrammetry model of the flooded corridors along with the dry chamber has been created and optimized for online viewing on the Sketchfab platform.

Outcome #2

<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">3d renders

The great advantage of working with a 3d model is the possibility to quickly create a cross section along any axis, preserving the photorealistic details.

Facility Description

Carl Gotthard Langhans

The church was constructed based on a design by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans, who also designed the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. However, some art historians believe it was built by builder Grundmann.

The church was built in 1796-1797 in an elliptical shape, measuring approximately 20×30 m. In 1872, a bell tower made of Bolesławiec sandstone was added to the church on the southeast side, designed by local architect Peter Gansel. Unfortunately, the builders of the tower did not possess the same skill as their predecessors, causing significant damage to the roof of the main building, resulting in increased bending of the columns on the second level of the gallery.

Design

Perła’s facades are simple, without architectural decorations. The tile roof is designed to fit the elliptical shape of the building. The interior, which used to be richly decorated, consists of a single space surrounded by wooden galleries. The elliptical floor is complemented by an unadorned dome supported by a gallery structure consisting of round wooden columns, mostly made of pine. The two levels of the gallery, accessible by a staircase, were originally equipped with full wooden railings. Currently, the staircase has been restored, but the railings are missing.

Church’s history

Perła served as a church for the local Evangelical community until 1945. The Catholic community used the nearby church of St. Jan Nepomucen. After the German inhabitants left, the church remained in excellent condition. Since the Red Army did not reach Żeliszów, Perła retained all its equipment, including crystal chandeliers, carpets, benches, prayer books, a wooden pulpit, and an altar and baptismal font made of Bolesławiec sandstone.