Location: Buffalo Bayou Cistern

The “Cistern,” as it has been dubbed, was the City of Houston’s first underground drinking-water reservoir. Built in 1927, it provided decades of service until it was drained when it sprang a leak that couldn’t be located or contained. Unused for years, the 87,500-square-foot expanse includes 25-foot tall, slender concrete columns set row upon row, hovering over two inches of water on the reservoir’s floor. Buffalo Bayou Park designers recognized immediately that this highly unusual space brimmed with potential for new life as a public space with light flooding in from the entrance hatches – a dramatic, almost artful expanse is created.
The massive space, that is now open for daily tours, is a hidden gem with rows and rows of slender concrete columns.

The history, beauty, industrial and underground vibes made this a perfect location for a shoot with a different kind of beauty. Former Miss Houston, Logan Lester, took a tour of the Cistern and also stopped to pose for a few pictures. Her natural, earth-toned outfit was perfect for the cavernous Cistern backdrops.

Photos/Assistance by Angie Fanelli

Styling by Beth Muecke

Model: Logan Lester