Gateway to park comes alive at night
Discovery Green’s new lighted allée is the latest upgrade
Discovery Green has laid out a fresh welcome mat under an allée of cathedral oak trees that leads visitors into the park from its northwest corner.
The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Grand Allée, near the corner of McKinney and LaBranch, now lights up at night, illuminated by energy-efficient LED light sticks that dangle from the tree canopy, casting a lattice pattern on the walkway. The lights are meant to suggest a game of pick-up sticks. Energetic youngsters might also see the shadows they cast as an invitation to hop scotch.
OK, this is minor consolation for the oh-so-tantalizing new playground nearby that was completed in March but has not yet opened because of pandemic safety protocols. But other people magnets are coming soon. Discovery Green will unveil “House of Cards,” a monumental structure made of 126 lighted playing cards that will appear to rise and fall, later this month. “House of Cards” opens Aug. 27 with a special drivethrough fundraiser, then will be free beginning Aug. 28, with timed
reservations on weekends.
Not really designed to be a quiet place, Discovery Green boasted about 1.5 million visitors annually before the pandemic turned much of downtown into a ghost town. With no Astros or Rockets games, no conventions, no concerts, no festivals and far fewer visitors to area restaurants, the park now gets picnickers and dog walkers, but it also looks deserted on some days.
Discovery Green Conservancy president Barry Mandel knows it won’t be this way forever. The Conservancy has forged ahead with $12 million in upgrades that began last year, including the new playground and allée as well as other lights and signage throughout the park. The new lights will have the ability to change colors, Mandel said.
“House of Cards” will be the first public artwork presented as part of a new program that’s another element of the improvements.
“Our audience wants to see more art, and for a lot of them, it’s their first introduction to public art,” Mandel said. “The new program enables us to do more, more often than before. We’re hanging our future for the next couple of years on art.”
While the 100-year-old live oaks across the park on the Brown Foundation Promenade often inspire temporary, artist-driven light projects, the new allée’s display is permanent and practical. It’s about improving public safety, Mandel said.
The surrounding neighborhood has evolved dramatically since Discovery Green opened in 2008. More than $1.2 billion in new development, including hotels, residences and restaurants, has risen around it, landlocking the park but also bringing it to life — and drawing more visitors later in the evenings. Who knows what the new normal
“Our audience wants to see more art, and for a lot of them, it’s their first introduction to public art. The new program enables us to do more, more often than before. We’re hanging our future for the next couple of years on art.”
Barry Mandel, Discovery Green Conservancy president
will be, but the park will be ready.
Landscape architect Mary Margaret Jones of Hargreaves Associates told the Chronicle last year she wanted to better embrace the downtown community by opening up Discovery Green’s arms, in a sense. She also flattened some berms that once blocked out a wasteland at the park’s edge.
Mandel would like to bring back live music to the park’s outdoor stage, but social distancing is still an issue, he said. “It’s gonna be awhile.” For now, all park events, including exercise classes, remain virtual.
The new allée is lit nightly from dusk to dawn. The Conservancy encourages guests to follow CDC health guidelines, including keeping a distance of 6 feet from others when possible, washing hands regularly and wearing face coverings.