Monastic Architectural Reconstruction From a 1962 U-2 Air Photo of Nartang in Central Tibet

Abstract

In the mid-20th century, United States U-2 Spy Planes flew over Central Tibet and captured high-resolution aerial photographs of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries just before they were destroyed en masse during China’s Cultural Revolution ca. 1966-76. This paper presents a cross-disciplinary study that uses Frame 2646R from U-2 Mission G3203 as the foundation for a 3D reconstruction of the Monastery. The methodology combines shadow analysis, satellite image orthorectification, and architectural rendering with extensive historical research drawn from Tibetan, Chinese, and Western sources. As a digital heritage initiative, it explores 3D modeling alternatives to photogrammetry, a method which requires numerous images to digitally reconstruct a single landmark. For now-destroyed historical sites with little existing visual documentation, shadow analysis presents a unique opportunity for 3D modeling. This paper culminates in two 3D reconstruction results, including: 1) a depiction of building masses on Nartang Monastery’s campus based only on shadow analysis and 2) a model with detailed renderings of some of the Monastery’s most notable spaces. To reconstruct the latter, sources such as early architectural field work drawings, a thangka painting, and accounts from travelogues contributed to incorporating speculative, stylized features into the shadow-analysis model. Our team of architects and researchers hopes this work informs future collaboration across fields to support cultural heritage preservation, especially in contexts where significant built manifestations of culture are lost.