The Hyperion Project

Hyperion aims to leverage existing tools and services (e.g., climate/extreme events models, and their impacts, decay models of building materials, Copernicus services, etc.), novel technologies (terrestrial and satellite imaging for wide-area inspection, advanced machine learning, etc.) to deliver an integrated resilience assessment platform, addressing multi-hazard risk understanding, better preparedness, faster, adapted and efficient response, and sustainable reconstruction of historic areas.

The project team will take into account the local eco-systems in the Cultural Heritage areas, mapping out their interactions and following a truly integrated/sustainable reconstruction approach (technical, social, institutional, environmental and economic level), by incorporating active communities participation and by supporting new business models based on the concept of a “load-balancing” economy, and offering financial risk-transfer tools that can ensure the immediate funds availability to fuel timely build-back-better efforts.

 The Concept

The Hyperion EU project aims to provide the appropriate tools in order to better understand the effects of climate change, ravages of time, intense geological phenomena and accidental, extreme weather conditions on archaeological sites and cultural heritage monuments. 

 The Impact

By using the Hyperion platform, end-users will be able to have a better understanding of the dangers and threats to tangible cultural heritage, make decisions for a swifter and more effective response, and contribute to the sustainable reorganization of the historical regions under threat. 

 KICK-OFF MEETING

On June 5th and 6th, 2019, the kickoff meeting of the Hyperion project took place at the Amalia Hotel, in Athens.

A goal of this meeting was the presentation of the partners who, in the course of the three years of the project, will collaborate for its implementation, and the presentation of the guidelines of each work package for the upcoming six months period, as well as the partners to be involved in the preparation of each of the deliverables.  

 1st Project Outdoor Activity

Τhe first project outdoor activity was held in Tønsberg; Norway from 3-10/10/2019

As part of the Hyperion EU project, samples of local rock were taken from the Tønsberg pilot-area to be sent to Italy for analysis. 

Rhomb porphyry (Rombeporfyr) and a local Monzonite, called Tønsbergite, were used for the construction of the castle on Slottsfjellet as well as churches, monasteries, and other monumental buildings in medieval Tønsberg. These types of stones are local and were extracted from quarries in or near the city.
 

 A tour at Tønsberg 

The research group from Oslo Metropolitan University visited the buildings located in Tønsberg, Norway, which constitute the case studies within the Hyperion project.

The members of the group were hosted and guided by people from the Vestfold County Municipality and the Slottsfjell Museum. The positions where sensors can be installed to monitor the microclimate of the constructions were examined during the meeting.

 1st Project Meeting of Hyperion Project in Rhodes

Τhe Municipality of Rhodes organized the 1st Plenary Meeting of Hyperion project in Rhodes. (Inn of Spain, Medieval City of Rhodes (building of the 15th century), where all partners had the opportunity to present & discuss productively the latest developments in their work & the detailed plan for the next project tasks!

The members of the consortium had the opportunity to visit the medieval city of Rhodes, guided by the EFAD members of the consortium, Sotiris Patatoukos, and Vasso Patsiada. Attendees were also given the opportunity to visit after the end of the Project Meeting, most of the places under study in the Medieval city of Rhodes.

 2019 EFAD, University of Padova

After the end of the Project Meeting on October 24th and 25th, the partners from the University of Padova Department of Geological Research, Professor Claudio Mazzoli and Dr. Chiara Colletti had the opportunity, in cooperation with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Rhodes in the project context, to visit Rodini Park and the quarries from where the building materials of the historical monuments of the city under study, were extracted. 

After the end of the Project meeting in Rhodes, the representatives of the Ephorate visited with the staff from the University of Padova visited all the Medieval monuments under study and the ancient and modern quarries on the island, giving further information about them.

 The deterioration of the Fadum storehouse

Ongoing activities and continuous monitoring of the historic timber buildings located at Slottsfjellsmuseet in Tønsberg, Norway are conducted by Oslo Metropolitan University research groups.

The documentation of the deterioration of the Fadum storehouse is one of the case studies of the Hyperion project.

 Sample selection at Lardos, Rhodes

On, December 12th, 2019, staff from the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese visited the modern quarry at Stegna, at Lardos area, Rhodes, to select, the appropriate sandstone samples and samples from Lartios stone. The samples were sent to the University of Padova (UNIPD) to study the behavior of the stone under rapid aging techniques. The staff from the ephorate had also the opportunity to communicate with the local authorities the Hyperion’s vision and mission and to disseminate the project activities in Rhodes.

 Demonstration in the city fo Venice, Italy

At the beginning of December 2019, UNIPD and IUAV, with the municipality of the city of Venice, conducted the preliminary survey at the Clock Tower (Tier 1 - Building). 

In this context, the survey at the Clock Tower in Venice (Tier 1 - Building) aimed to face, in accordance with the members of the municipality, some practical issues (e.g. the arrangement for the outdoor exposition of the rock slabs and wooden samples, for the climate station, and for the information panel). On this occasion, were also planned the collection of samples and the on-site analyses, defining the different acquisition points (from the Museum Correr on St. Mark's Square and from the St. Mark's balcony) useful to allow the 3D image reconstruction and the hyperspectral acquisitions without the use of drones. This survey was performed in an exceptionally empty city since, during the month of November 2019, Venice was hit by exceptional tides which peaked at 187 cm. Some 45% of the city was flooded. It was the worst flooding in Venice since 1966, according to statistics reported on Venice's municipality website (https://www.comune.venezia.it).