The long-awaited Lowline Lab will soon be open to the public! A precursor to the Lowline, which would be the first underground park in NYC if built, the Lab will open its doors on Saturday, October 17 at noon. Visitors will step into a space devoted to what the designers call the “science and magic” of growing and maintaining plant life underground. The Lowline Lab is considered an experimental project, both in its subterranean location and the technological feats that will be attempted there.
The Lowline Lab is situated in a formerly abandoned market on the Lower East Side, just two blocks away from the proposed Lowline park site. By visiting the Lowline Lab, you’ll get the opportunity to see this experimental technology up-close and even interact with the experiments. The magic happening inside the Lab is powered by a rooftop “solar technology collection and distribution system” which actually directs natural sunlight from above to the plant life underground.
Related: Lowline underground park full-scale model unveiled in Manhattan’s Lower East Side
The opening of the Lowline Lab is just one step along the path toward the final park construction.
Project leaders ran a successful Kickstarter campaign this past summer to raise funds for the park, enabling backers to score limited edition Lowline terrariums in exchange for their financial contributions.
Following the opening weekend, which promises to be quite a party, the Lowline will be free and open to the public every Saturday and Sunday through March 2016. More details on the opening weekend are available on the Facebook event page.
+ Inhabitat interviews the designers of the Lowline Project
Images via The Lowline
