Pavement light facts for kids

On top, people could walk on the sidewalk, but pavement lights let light go into the room below.

Colored pavement lights from above.

Pavement lights are special glass blocks or lenses set into sidewalks or floors. Their main job is to let sunlight shine into rooms or spaces directly below them. You might also hear them called vault lights or sidewalk prisms.

These clever lights were very popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Back then, electric lighting was quite new and expensive. Pavement lights offered a cheap way to brighten up dark basements and underground areas using natural light.

Today, some cities are taking these old lights out. But many others are working hard to restore and keep them. They are a cool part of history and still useful!

How Pavement Lights Work

Pavement lights are designed to bring natural light into places that would otherwise be dark. Imagine a basement under a busy city sidewalk. Without these lights, it would need electric lamps all day.

Lighting Basements and Underground Spaces

During the day, pavement lights act like small windows. They let sunlight stream into basements below. This makes these underground areas much brighter and more useful. At night, if the basement has lights on, the pavement lights can even glow from below, lighting up the sidewalk above!

These lights were especially helpful in cities where space is valuable. They made basements more practical for shops, storage, or even offices. This could help landlords make more money from their buildings.

Saving Energy and Money

One big benefit of pavement lights is saving electricity. Since they let in sunlight, there's less need to turn on electric lights during the day. This means lower electricity bills for building owners.

Many years ago, companies advertised pavement lights as a way to save money and make places look better. Modern science shows they were right! Using natural light is good for the environment and your wallet.

Other Uses for Pavement Lights

Pavement lights aren't just for sidewalks. They can also be found in floors, especially in buildings with glass roofs. Sometimes, you might even see them in floors stacked one above another. This allows sunlight to travel through multiple levels of a building.

Even Manhole covers were sometimes made with pavement lights! This shows how creative people were in finding ways to use natural light.

Pavement Lights Today

Most old cities around the world have pavement lights. Many of these lights are over 100 years old! They are a cool reminder of how people used to light their buildings before cheap electricity.

Even though they are old, some new pavement lights are still being made today. Modern designs use new materials and technologies. This shows that the idea of using natural light from above is still a good one.

Pictures

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  An example of pavement lights during the day.

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  The same lights at night, shining light from below.

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  Pavement lights seen from below.

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  Colorful pavement lights.

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  An old drawing showing different types of pavement lights.

Images for kids

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  Rockwell vault light, with one large piece of glass.

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  Armoured glass set into concrete.

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  Solarized pendant prisms, showing a color change from sun exposure.

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  Restored vault lights being put back on a street in New York City.

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  Old sidewalk prisms lighting the abandoned Seattle Underground.

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  A system using prisms to light a basement.

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  The same system used to light a salesroom inside a hollow sidewalk.