An ambitious plan for one of New York’s abandoned underground train stations could see it transformed from dank pit of despair into a futuristic fibre-optic lit playpark.
Who said that living underground had to be dark, depressing and filthy? Sure, that’s the prevailing trend in most classic science fiction, where it’s imagined that we’ll all be living in places that look like this.
That’s the trolley terminal below Delancey Street as it is right now; hardly an inspiring place to take the family for a Sunday picnic. But what if it looked less like the scene of a stabbing, and more like this?
That’s the vision that architect James Ramsey has for the space, transforming it from a subterranean waste of space — it’s 2 acres in total, a not insignificant amount of space in New York, even if it is underground. The project’s dubbed the “low line”, in reference to New York’s High Line park that’s already in operation. The plan calls for fibre optic lighting that’ll channel natural sunlight during the day and light up at night. Speaking to The New Yorker, Ramsey is quoted as saying that
We’re channeling sunlight the way they did in ancient Egyptian tombs, but in a supermodern way.”
Danny
Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 11:04 AM“futuristic fibre-optic lit playpark”
With someone entertaining the visitors with an Accordion? Really??
I’d much rather get stabbed in a happy place!
Johnny P
Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 11:10 AMJust dont evict the Ninja Turtles – Circa 1992 Second Film.
Tom
Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 12:12 PMor, during the day, sit outside.
just a thought
olearymo
Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 12:33 PMInsert Futurama reference here.
Sevrin
Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 12:55 PMNeo : Zion?
Tank : If the war was over tommorow, Zion’s where the party would be.
Neo : It’s a city?
Tank : The last human city. The only place we have left.
Neo : Where is it?
Tank : Deep underground, near the Earth’s core, where it’s still
warm. You live long enough, you might even see it!
ozoneocean
Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 1:02 PMI’d heard the highline was a lovely verdant linear parkland threading through the city… the reality was an arid, sparse, dry land of concrete and grass. It was the hight of summer, but still it was nothing on even little Madison park -_-
I imagine the “lowline” would similarly fail to live “up” to its promise. Probably end up dim and dingy, even with as much tech stuff and greenery as they can stuff down there. -The working, living subways are pretty hot, smelly, damp and dingy anyway.
Commander Shepard
Friday, September 23, 2011 at 1:31 AMI’m Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite Citadel lookalike in Earth’s past!