This paper presents the design, development and evaluation of GDOM (Geelong Digital Outdoor Museum) application that integrates intangible heritage stories into places of public significance through a 3D virtual immersive environment. The project makes an important contribution to community-centred intangible heritage, while bridging the gap between theory and practice of location-based, non-linear storytelling. Research by Design methodology has been adopted to integrate highly cross-disciplinary insights into the creation, reproduction and evaluation of a tangible application. A web-based 360° panoramic image viewer platform has been utilised to design and curate an interactive heritage experience, by spatially linking stories (content) to specific locations. The key innovation is the location-based, non-linear and spatial storytelling inside a 3D immersive virtual space where users have the opportunity to interact with intangible heritage stories. GDOM application opened up new opportunities to connect people with intangible heritage to facilitate new forms of environmental knowing, spatial and cultural understanding, and the creation of a sense of place. An in-depth evaluation of GDOM, with both expert and non-expert user groups, confirmed the GDOM application as an effective tool to experience intangible heritage to facilitate better understanding of places compared to a physical experience of heritage in a museum. Potential context of application with immediate benefits have been reported as education and cultural tourism sectors.

Recreation of the past—of historical buildings—sits at the intersection of the spatio-temporal manifestation of cultural memories, socio-cultural meanings, values, and identity remolds, and refines the existing understanding and sense of place. Digital technologies have become a popular tool in recreation of the past by creating a new body of knowledge and historical discourse based on identifying the gaps within our written histories. Designers and policymakers around the world have been exploring various tools and technologies, such as diachronic modeling, yet there is a gap in evidence-based understanding regarding the actual functioning and success of applications for placemaking. This paper, therefore, sets out to scrutinize the role of digital technologies in facilitating digital placemaking. To do so, it investigates the potential of a new “digital heritage” narrative in the revival of the lost architectural narrative of the Dennys Lascelles wool store, Geelong. The proposed paper aims to investigate the potential of a new “digital heritage” narrative and storytelling as a means towards a digital placemaking framework. While exploring the new and unique capabilities provided by the digital narrative in capturing, simulating, and disseminating lost heritage, it will further imbue a sense of place by connecting the everyday city dweller.

Re-creation of the past of historical buildings sits at the intersection of the spatio-temporal manifestation of cultural memories, socio-cultural meanings, values and identity re-moulds and refines the existing understanding and sense of place. Digital technologies have become a popular tool in re-creation of the past by creating a new body of knowledge and historical discourse based on identifying the gaps within our written histories. Designers and policymakers around the world have been exploring various tools and technologies such as diachronic modelling yet there is a gap in evidence-based understanding regarding the actual functioning and success of application for place making. This paper, therefore, sets out to scrutinise the role of digital technologies in facilitating digital place making. To do so, it investigates the potential of a new “digital heritage” narrative in the revival of the lost architectural narrative of the Dennys Lascelles Wool Store, Geelong. The proposed paper aims to investigate the potential of a new “digital heritage” narrative and story-telling as a means towards digital place making framework. While exploring the new and unique capabilities provided by the digital narrative in capturing, simulating and disseminating ‘lost’ heritage it will further imbue a sense of place by connecting the everyday city dweller.

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