Slide Shows | Technology

Tunnel Vision: Subterranean Park to Stay Sunny with Fiber-Optic Skylights [Slide Show]

The proposed "Lowline" in New York City would transform an abandoned belowground trolley depot into a recreational public space complete with lush flora

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LOWLINE EXHIBIT:
thumb: LOWLINE EXHIBIT:

LOWLINE EXHIBIT:

New Yorkers are getting a glimpse this month of what the Lowline park might look like thanks to an exhibit demonstrating technology that channels enough sunlight to subterranean spaces to support plant life....[More]

ALUMINUM CANOPY:
thumb: ALUMINUM CANOPY:

ALUMINUM CANOPY:

The exhibit—on display September 15–27—features a skylight that delivers the sun's energy from an outdoor solar collector to an indoor canopy for distribution....[More]

REFLECTOR SHIELDS:
thumb: REFLECTOR SHIELDS:

REFLECTOR SHIELDS:

The Lowline exhibit collects sunlight on the roof and channels the rays directly through a circular array of six tubes (each about 53 centimeters in diameter) into the building....[More]

REMOTE SKYLIGHT:
thumb: REMOTE SKYLIGHT:

REMOTE SKYLIGHT:

The remote skylight to be installed in the actual Lowline space would use a reflective, parabolic solar collection dish outdoors to gather and concentrate sunlight....[More]

LOWLINE TODAY:
thumb: LOWLINE TODAY:

LOWLINE TODAY:

Lowline organizers are pitching the park as a space covering more than 5,500 square meters with a five-meter-high ceiling. The park, which would feature art exhibits and food vendors alongside the subterraneous photosynthesis, would inhabit the former Williamsburg Trolley Terminal, which opened in 1903 as a depot for streetcars ferrying passengers between Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood and Manhattan's Lower East Side....[More]

LOWLINE TOMORROW?:
thumb: LOWLINE TOMORROW?:
LOWLINE TOMORROW?:

An artist's rendering of what the Lowline might look like if the project wins approval from the city and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which owns the trolley depot.

[Link to this slide]
Courtesy of Delancey Undgerground
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4 Comments

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  1. 1. RSchmidt 11:53 AM 9/15/12

    That is one expensive light bulb. I wonder how long it would take to recoup the investment?

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  2. 2. lump1 10:18 AM 9/17/12

    Geez, it's neato and everything, but what New York really needs is parking.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  3. 3. greenhome123 06:58 PM 9/18/12

    I love the idea of growing plants underground using Fiber-Optic Skylights.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  4. 4. glucksinger 02:26 PM 9/19/12

    I'll have to reserve judgement on this for now though it is an interesting idea. The High Line Park is beautiful, truly a gift to all of those who live in or visit Manhattan. Kudos to all who brought that project to completion.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
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