One Reconstruction, Three Experiences: Expert Insights into Mediated Access to a Digitally Reconstructed Lost Altarpiece

As digital reconstructions become pivotal in the research, interpretation, and dissemination of cultural heritage, their circulation across diverse visualization media has continued to expand. However, how these platforms influence expert-level engagement with reconstructed artifacts is not yet fully understood. This issue is particularly relevant for large-scale artifacts, such as altarpieces, whose size and complexity pose specific challenges for digital access. This work investigates how different media affect the effectiveness of access to a digitally reconstructed lost altarpiece, according to expert evaluations of each medium's properties. Based on a shared 3D model, we developed three complementary visualization systems (a touchscreen-based interactive kiosk, a physical 3D-printed maquette, and a virtual reality application) and conducted a user study with 22 humanities scholars and heritage specialists. Using a mixed-method design that combines questionnaires and structured interviews, we analyze how each medium supports research, teaching, and dissemination. The results show complementary rather than hierarchical advantages: VR is more effective in conveying scale and spatial context, the kiosk supports in-depth iconographic and documentary exploration, and the maquette facilitates structural overview and shared accessibility. Effectiveness is shown to be strongly task- and audience-dependent, challenging the assumption of a single optimal display modality. We argue that multimodal strategies are essential for supporting expert engagement with complex digital heritage reconstructions and for informing the design of future scholarly visualization systems.