Breath in… breath out… the calming sound of bubbles breaks the ultimate silence of the abandoned mine’s abyss. The feeling of seclusion is so calming. The only factor ruining this meditative experience is the fact that soon our runtime is over. The beauty of the magnesite veins and crystal clear water will be preserved in our memories, but is that enough? Don’t we have technical skills and hardware to take beautiful Maria Concordia to the virtual world and be able to experience it at all times?
Well, the team behind The Maria Concordia Project does. Using photogrammetry technology and some odd-looking custom inventions, they put their efforts into making a digital, accurate 3d replica of the mine with all the details and its vivid colors.
Working with the world’s top photogrammetry specialists, the team is making this extraordinary dive site available to everyone, even to non-divers. And as Marcin Stempniewicz (the brain behind the operation) says: ‘We’re not super interested in the 3d model itself. It’s just a tool, nothing more than a tube of decent ultramarine for a master painter.’
The project is about storytelling. Using a variety of techniques, from static visualizations, animations, photorealistic cross sections to Augmented and Virtual Reality experiences, the team is sharing the captivating story of one of the most beautiful underground places in Europe.
While we were dedicated to pushing the boundaries of modern overhead cartography, this was never the project's main goal. A 3D model is just a tool, not a product. The Maria Concordia Project is all about exploring ways to tell a compelling story of the place using a variety of modern visual techniques like cross sections, animation, VR, and ar. scanning itself is always just the beginning of the adventure.
Marcin Stempniewicz, Explorer
01 - 02.12.2023
To create a complete photogrammetry scan of all 4 corridor levels Maria Concordia, an old, flooded Magnesite mine, along with the 40m deep shaft. Tens of hours underwater and months of precise work on the 3d model, each diver visiting Maria Concordia will have access to an accurate 3d depiction of the mine. Moreover, we will make the mine accessible to non-cave divers, thanks to VR technology.
To educate. Maria Concordia is not only a place for diving, but also a monument to Lower Silesian mining art. The goal of the project is to bring it to the audience using compelling visuals and captivating storytelling
To increase safety. Like most of the other overhead sites, Maria Concordia has a dark history of fatal accidents including the one in 2021. Hopefully, a set of detailed maps and a 3d depiction of the corridors will reduce the risk and improve the process of planning the dives, making the dives safer.
To promote overhead diving in Poland. According to the statement of the executive team, Maria Concordia will be the best documented overhead diving site not only in Poland, but also in central Europe. Thanks to this, and a series of lectures on the project delivered around the world, the facility will gain the worldwide publicity and attention it fully deserves.
It's your contribution!
By choosing the brands involved in our program for your personal diving, you directly contribute to the support we can provide to ESP divers around the world. Every little bit counts towards reaching our goals.
Thank you!
How to apply?
Share your vision with us. We want to support adventures, explorations, and projects that deepen the understanding of the underwater world.
