Esterhazy – An Interactive 3D Reconstruction of Esterházy Palace

THE IDEA

Esterhazy – An Interactive 3D Reconstruction of Esterházy Palace

Type: Software Status: Beta Tech Stack: JavaScript (ES modules), Three.js, WebXR, Vite, Node.js (http server without a framework), Python (Blender scripting, Blender 4.5), Playwright (tests), glTF/GLB Problem Statement Exploring Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt has so far meant travelling there. A digital counterpart has to do two things: offer a building you can actually walk through rather than just a rendered image, and at the same time be usable as a space in its own right — for instance for artists or small galleries who want to show their own exhibition to browser and VR visitors. It should also be possible to present it without internet access or a server, for example at presentations or on trade-fair stands. Description Esterhazy is a 3D reconstruction of Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt, generated by Python scripts in Blender. It runs as an exterior view in the browser, as a walkable tour with collision detection and operable doors — through the interiors, cellar and mezzanine, across the roof walkway and around the grounds — and as a WebXR application for Meta Quest. All three variants are also available as a single HTML file with the model embedded, which runs offline by double-click. A password-protected gallery with its own Node.js server lets users upload images, hang them on validated walls, add text panels and publish the result as an exhibition. The server is built with security in mind — scrypt, CSRF protection, origin checks, rate limiting, CSP and PNG validation down to pixel level — and stores everything file-based without a database. The entire codebase is now under version control; a full check run (npm run test:all) builds all variants and runs 36 test suites, most recently passing 43 of 43 steps. The model is a photo-based architectural study after 19 correction rounds, not a surveyed model. Testing on real Quest hardware and public operation are still pending. Use Case You can visit and walk through Esterházy Palace virtually, on screen or in VR, and hang and publish your own art exhibition with real images inside it. Link: — (local repository without a remote) Overview: the reconstructed palace in the interactive 3D viewer with clickable architectural notes. Schlossplatz: the baroque display façade with ramp, stairs and south balcony. Garden side: the neoclassical façade facing the palace park, with colonnade and lateral driveway ramps. Courtyard: the almost square courtyard at the heart of the four wings. Orthographic top view for comparing the floor plan against the roofscape. Entering the walkable tour at the Schlossplatz in front of the main entrance. The Haydn Hall on the piano nobile in walkable interior mode. The Empire Hall with columns, chandelier and parquet floor in the walkable tour. On the roof walkway: the passage across the roofs to the towers. Floor-plan mode: a section through the selected storey, with your own position marked in green. Building history: a timeline of construction phases from castle core to residence, with source references.