Here are 10 incredible underground projects. Manmade developments that occur above ground tend to grab most of the attention, but there’s some pretty cool stuff going on below the Earth’s surface, too. Here are 10 incredible underground projects. Number 10. Site 911. The building of this multi-level subterranean military facility just outside Tel Aviv was supposed to be kept hush hush, but ended up getting a lot of public attention. According to the Washington Post, it’ll have all the bells and whistles including a lab, blast-proof doors, and an auditorium. Number 9. London’s Crossrail. Though what’s been dug up while building the train tunnel, like around 5 thousand skeletons, has captured a lot of the attention, the project itself is quite notable. Once completed it will expand the number of people who can get to heart of London in 45 minutes or less by 1.5 million. Number 8. Onkalo. Nuclear waste is nasty and dangerous so clearly it can’t just be left sitting anywhere. Years ago, Finland became the first country to embark upon the creation of a very long-term solution for its disposal. The underground bunker they’re constructing is designed to keep a tight lock on the radioactive material for about 100 thousand years. Number 7. Gotthard Tunnel. Given the time and difficultly involved in travelling over the Swiss Alps, Switzerland decided to construct a means of going under them instead. After over a decade and a half of drilling and building the project is at last in its final stages, and soon it’ll be possible to take a train ride beneath the mountains. Number 6. Zip World Trampoline. A theme park took an unused slate mine in Northern Wales and turned it into the world’s largest underground trampoline. The attraction has 3 bouncy levels linked by a spiral staircase and slides. Number 5. IceCave. Not far from Reykjavik, Iceland is the mother of all snow forts. Workers have carved an array of caves and tunnels with the intention of opening it up for the world to enjoy. The space includes ice sculptures, a chapel and a restaurant. Number 4. The Earthscraper. This concept involves reversing some of the key aspects people expect from large pieces of architecture, namely that it be above ground and upright. This 55-story inverted structure would be placed in Mexico City’s main plaza and accommodate a variety of uses. Number 3. The Lowline. New York City’s High Line has been a huge success, and now a group wants to continue the party below ground. Developers are proposing that a public park be built in an abandoned trolley terminal in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Number 2. 2nd Avenue Subway Project. Talk of this one has been going on so long, many New Yorkers don’t believe it will ever happen. If it does get completed by 2016, as recently promised, it will provide train service between Harlem and the Financial District. Number 1. Underground Science City. Singapore is a very popular place, and with all of the people who flock to it to work and live, it’s come up against a bit of a space problem. There just isn’t any left. To accommodate the droves of people still expected to move there, the building of a city beneath the city is being considered. Plans are to include shopping centers, transportation, and even bicycle lanes. Which underground development do you think is the most interesting?

• published: 20 Feb 2015
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