Tesouros do Rei

The Vasco da Gama Aquarium, located in Algés, Lisbon, houses an extensive collection of taxidermy animals that once belonged to King Carlos I—a monarch with a profound love for the sea and its species.

How could a remarkable collection like this remain hidden behind closed doors, away from public view? This very question led aquarium managers to embark on a mission: digitally capture these creatures and make them accessible to all.

To bring this vision to life, Photo360, a Porto-based photography company, was engaged to capture each specimen. Using a rotating platform that turned in 10-degree increments, 36 photos were taken of each animal to create a full 360-degree view.

From there, we stepped in to design a user-friendly interface for the project. We developed a website featuring information on the project, its sponsors, and the travels of King Carlos, alongside a 360-degree gallery where visitors can explore the animals and scientific instruments in detail.

To enhance the experience, several discovery books were also digitized and made available in a flipbook format, allowing users to interactively browse through their pages.