The Virtual National Exhibition Aarhus (1909) is a 3D historical universe. In 2009, exactly 100 years after the opening of a large, historical exhibition in Aarhus, CAVI developed a virtual, interactive 3D model of the exhibition. In 1909, the exhibition was a nationally and historically important exhibition of industry, crafts, and cultural activities in Aarhus. In collaboration with Aarhus University, CAVI developed a virtual 3D model of the exhibition area in conjunction with its centennial anniversary. The project involved remaking old, dimensionally stable architectural drawings into three-dimensional models, which were simultaneously accessible to the user through a Wiimote controller. The models were made from architectural drawings, to make it evident to the viewer that the modeling wasn’t a naturalistic reproduction of the area, but a visual reconstruction of the old architecture. To avoid unrealistically high expectations of the models looking perfect and exactly as they did in the past, the architectural drawings were intentionally used to enhance the reconstruction.

The Virtual National Exhibition is available online, as a historical representation of the exhibition. It may be regarded as an online database that viewers can access through a browser. This was later rendered in stereo 3D, and is an example of how one can create a sense of space through the use of 3D technology as an architectural design tool.