A new digital recreation of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine has been released in time for the 23rd anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks in Lower Manhattan.

The creative team behind the new app's development, G&A, says they wanted to find a way for those located outside of New York City to share in its inspiring and symbolic rebirth in a lasting way that harkens to the spiritual mission undertaken by church leaders since its establishment during the first World War. 

Using drone-enabled 3D photogrammetry, Santiago Calatrava-designed architecture and recovered original iconography can be experienced in detail along with supplementary text, audio, and short films relating the story of its history and documenting the $95 million worth of contributions that led to its eventual regeneration in 2022.

"We’re proud of the way that the guiding principles for this experience appear throughout, allowing the shrine, and the app guiding people through it, to be a 'light on the hill' in the wake of our darkest moments," G&A's Scott Wickstrom said of their inspiration. "To have the trust of the St. Nicholas team for all elements of the design, including partner selection, was invaluable and allowed us to deliver a digital and on-site experience that assures that this once-destroyed symbol of hope can be experienced forever."

What it produced in the end is a unique blend at the cutting edge of physical and digital experience design. Visitors can even light a virtual candle and make their own donations after visiting the recreated Narthex of the church. G&A's Senior Integrated Producer, Stephanie Land, says they were seeking to create a "mobile experience so wholly integrated with physical space that using it simply feels like part of actually being there."

You can take part in the online virtual tour yourself here.