1. Introduction
  2. Comparison
  3. Identification
  4. Translation
  5. Reflection


How do the technical flaws of 3D scanning enhance our understanding of architectural transparency?

Architects and urban planners increasingly rely on digital scanning to create precise virtual models of real-world spaces. Yet, like a funhouse mirror, these tools often distort what they capture, reminding us there's a wide gulf between physical reality and its digital counterpart. Can 3D scanning become a new lens for understanding our built environments, or does it merely show us how easily “objectivity” can falter?

The Stratford-Westfield Case Study





London’s Stratford–Westfield shopping center offers a fascinating testing ground for this question. Designed to project transparency and openness with its glass curtain walls, skylights, and polished surfaces, it prompts us to ask: does visual clarity truly guarantee accessibility? Its multi-level retail corridors, reflective materials, and continuous foot traffic challenge 3D scanning technology, revealing both unexpected flaws and untapped possibilities for how we observe—and interpret—urban space.