Projection mapping is a technology that allows us to change the environment without physically altering it. While the equipment employed can vary from simple to highly sophisticated, the principle and intention remain consistent: use visible light to alter the appearance of the subject space. Cultural heritage sites making use of the technology remain limited to date, but interest is growing due to the opportunity to virtually restore fragile historic resources while avoiding physical contact and retaining total reversibility.

Using promising case study projects, Preme will discuss and illustrate the ways curators and stewards can, temporarily and visually, transform a space into different time periods without physical intervention or adverse effect. An ephemeral mediation immerses visitors in various interpretations while allowing the actual space to remain in its current condition -- and deterioration, as a living document of the site.

Preme Chaiyatham completed her undergraduate degree in interior architecture and was employed in the interior design and built-environment industry for four years in Bangkok, Thailand. She is competent in spatial design for residential, commercial and organizational spaces. Acquiring experience working on older structures, Preme decided to pursue a graduate degree in Historic Preservation at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP). She currently works at the school as a Preservation Technology Lab Assistant and graduate teaching assistant, and she also served on a student council for the Program. Her primary career goal is to be a preservation architect and interior designer specializing in adaptive reuse.