While you are exploring Lower Manhattan in NYC, you may notice a distinctive and unusual building soaring 550 feet and utterly devoid of windows. This ominous, mysterious structure is located at 33 Thomas Street. Today, it is known simply by its street address. But some people still refer to it by its old name, the AT&T Long Lines Building.
The severe brutalist edifice looks like an impenetrable fortress. Actually, it may surprise you just how literal a reality that is. It was designed by John Carl Warnecke, architect of the Hawaii State Capitol, to be as secure as possible. Let’s take a closer look.
A Brief History of 33 Thomas Street’s Majesty and Mystery
AT&T commissioned Warnecke to build a skyscraper that would contain the switches used for its long lines—thus the former name of the building. This purpose necessitated some unusual design features, such as floors with extremely high load capacities and 18-foot floor heights.
There are two reasons this building has no windows. One is to maximize security. The other is to avoid overheating the equipment inside. Electronics need to stay cool in order to keep functioning. Building a skyscraper that contained walls full of windows would have allowed too much solar heat to penetrate to the interior.
Speaking of security, the AT&T Long Lines Building is every bit the functional stronghold it appears. Warnecke himself wrote that the structure would be “a skyscraper to be inhabited by machines … designed to house long lines telephone equipment and to protect it and its operating personnel in the event of atomic attack.”
The poetically stated goal of the project was for it to function as a “20th century fortress, with spears and arrows replaced by protons and neutrons laying quiet siege to an army of machines within.”
Indeed, for up to two weeks following such a detonation, the equipment and as many as 1,500 staff members within would be safe from the fallout. It even has its own water and gas to ensure that it can continue functioning during that period without outside resources or support.
Is the NSA Conducting Mass Surveillance from 33 Thomas Street?
One other fascinating fact about 33 Thomas Street also relates to security. This article in The Intercept explains, “An investigation by The Intercept indicates that the skyscraper is more than a mere nerve center for long-distance phone calls. It also appears to be one of the most important National Security Agency surveillance sites on U.S. soil — a covert monitoring hub that is used to tap into phone calls, faxes, and internet data.”
The Intercept came to this conclusion by piecing together public records and accounts with documents Edward Snowden leaked. The NSA code-name for the building is apparently TITANPOINTE.
As for the purpose of the building today, it houses datacenters, and still has some switches, though not as many as it used to. Whether or not the NSA is currently using it, well, only those involved at the NSA would know for sure.
While discussing the history of 33 Thomas Street, it is easy to get sidetracked from its beauty. The concrete and granite edifice’s style is brutalist. This makes it stand out as distinctive among the art deco buildings that characterize Manhattan.
At the same time, however, its sleek, streamlined form and its emphasis on vertical lines does give it some art deco-like elements. That may be why it fits into its surroundings so well despite its differences in style. With its striking elegance and the mysteries surrounding its use, it is easily one of New York’s most fascinating skyscrapers.
If you enjoyed this post, you also may also like reading about some other brutalist buildings. Check out Boston City Hall: A Controversial Brutalist Landmark. Also see The Nuclear Reactor Building at UW: A Building Lost, a Battle Won. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!
