Houston’s Cistern (Buffalo Bayou Partnership photo)
Beneath our low-lying city, Houston has a huge cavern built in 1926 used as a 15-million-gallon water reservoir. It supported the city’s municipal water system’s fire suppression (water pressure) and drinking water storage. In 2007, after decades of operation, the reservoir was decommissioned due to an irreparable leak.
The cavern, or cistern, covers 87,500 square feet, about the size of 1 1/2 football fields. Two hundred twenty-one slender concrete columns, each of which is 25 feet tall, support the ceiling. The cistern has a 17-second echo from any sounds made. An eight-inch wall above the ceiling insulates the space from outside noise. About six inches of water remain on the cistern bottom.
In 2010, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership developed the $58 million Buffalo Bayou Park project. The park includes two new visitor centers, a two-acre dog park, four bayou footbridges, a skate park, kayak rentals, event and performance spaces, public art and statuary, restored woodlands, and a new wetland nature park with biking and hiking trails.
The partnership and the City of Houston recognized the architectural and historical significance of the reservoir and worked together on its development and maintenance. The Partnership repurposed the cistern into a unique public space to house changing art installations. The Houston architectural firm Page designed a sloping entryway, extended, and illuminated the walkways around the inside perimeter.
The Houston Arts Alliance and the city commissioned artist Donald Lipski to install “Down Periscope.” The 7-foot tall periscope enables viewers to look directly down into the cistern. It sits on a shaded kiosk on the lawn above.
Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern at the Water Works is located at 105 Sabine Street, northwest of downtown Houston. The cistern is open for 30-minute tours Thursday through Sunday with reservations required. Photography tours and meditation sessions are also available. For more information, visit buffalobayou.org.
