Have you ever imagined that a park full of vibrant trees, people, and sunlight could exist… *underground*? Well, that’s exactly what New York City is currently developing with [The LowLine][1] team. They’re using fiber optic technology to direct sunlight. The result is really, really cool! [1]: http://www.thelowline.org/about/the-team/The site was opened in 1908 for trolley passengers, but has been unused since 1948 when trolley service was discontinued.
New York City will be the first to have an underground park like this. If you want to visit, it’ll be in Manhattan under the eastbound roadway of Delancey Street on the Lower East Side.
The park will be about 3 blocks long and the ceiling will be about 20 feet high. What you see in this picture are the “distributor dishes” that will send light into the underground space. They essentially receive the light from above and distribute it below.
This is what the distributor dishes look like once they’ve been installed. They’re also called “remote reflectors.”
The remote skylight system has two levels. The level above ground has a special dish called a ‘parabolic collector’. It will focus the sun light into a kind of light beam and point it directly into the underground distributor dish.
See how beautifully the system works? It’ll allow photosynthesis to happen, promoting underground life with real sunlight.
The sunlight ‘laser beam’ dishes will be placed in many special locations above ground to direct the most possible sunlight. Of course, on cloudy days and at night, they’ll use a form of artificial sunlight to keep the park lit.
As long as there is sunlight electricity won’t be needed to keep the park lit.
The Manhattan Community Board 3, along with many politicians are supporting the project. This also includes the Lower East Side Business Improvement District.
The Lowline team needed to build a prototype to prove their idea would work. In September 2012, they used an abandoned warehouse to showcase the concept. Thousands of people visited and the media was all over the story.
Between 2014 and 2017 the Lowline wants to finish up all the negotiations and planning needed to move forward with the project and start construction.
It seems like a great place to relax and get away from the tall buildings and bustling city. Plus, since it’s going to be located in one of the least green areas of NYC, it’ll be a great addition to the environment.
The site was originally opened in 1908 for trolley riders but shut down in 1948. It still has lots of antique features like cobblestone remnants and vaulted ceilings. It would be really cool to see a design that preserves the original touch with sunlight and lots of beautiful green trees.
Be sure to visit!
