Modeling Ambiguity: An Analysis of the Paris Temple

The Paris Temple is a monument that has been lost since the start of the 19th century. This thesis aims to digitally reconstruct this monument in a new virtual environment in order to explore the value of digital modeling and mapping. Asking: can we consider these tools effective or not when attempting to reconcile incommensurable historical evidence on spaces that have been either destroyed or transformed? The thesis first reviews the current state of scholarship, in conjunction with the use of digital techniques, surrounding both the Order of the Knights Templar and medieval architecture as a whole.

Through a synthesis of both analog and digital methods a new perspective can be reached. Mapping in this project is only used to contextualize the Paris Temple in the entirety of the Templar Network that spread across Europe. ESRI’s ArcGIS was the mapping tool used to make this map, and a combination of Vectorworks and Autodesk Fusion 360 were used to make the Paris Temple’s model. With these digital techniques the scale of the historical evidence is able to be manipulated in three different ways: in its capacity, temporal qualities, and proximity to the object. Through this manipulation and essential modeling a more holistic understanding of the site was reached.