Houston's Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern

Until now, few people have seen one of Houston's most beautiful places. In fact, until 2010, hardly anyone knew it existed. That year, as the Buffalo Bayou Partnership was preparing to buy land near Jamail Skatepark, its consultants checked out an old underground water reservoir, built in 1926 but abandoned, and about to be demolished by the city. The consultants wondered whether they might be able to use the space instead — as underground parking, maybe, or to store mulch. Instead they found a place of sublime, ancient-feeling beauty. From the rooftop hatches, light streamed into the blackness like a message from God. A shallow layer of dead-still water perfectly mirrored hundreds of slender, elegant columns. And the acoustics were the kind that a Gothic cathedral might envy. On Friday, May 13, Buffalo Bayou Park opens the Cistern opens the public. http://m.chron.com/news/houston-texas...