Hi, I’ve been wondering about this for awhile; is it a copyright concern to recreate a real world structure, with some small modifications, for a commercial project?
In my case the structure in question is a 700+ year old monastery that I’ve built nearly exactly. It uses the same layout as the original structure and textures from the photographs I took there.
Because of it’s age I feel like it should be fair use. However, I believe the monastery is managed by the country it is located in, and I had to pay a small fee to get inside.
Typically, the building itself, is not a subject of intellectual property. Work of the architect is. It is not a copyright concern, but it does not relieve you of any other potential claims, like you recreating this building lowering its tourism attractiveness. In any case, seek proper legal advice.
Deathrey’s answer is incorrect. In the United States, actual buildings are protected by copyright law under the Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act of 1990. Building design can also technically be trademarked as well.
In the case of a 700 year old monastery, the copyright on the building itself has most certainly expired, at least in the United States.