33 Thomas Street: The Mysterious 29-Story Windowless Skyscraper in New York. What’s it use for?

mage via Flickr / © Anton Repponen

In the heart of Lower Manhattan, an unusual 29-story skyscraper, devoid of windows, stands tall and mysterious. Its code name is Titanpointe, and it is located at 33 Thomas Street. This building has baffled New Yorkers for years.1

Advertisement

The building, constructed in 1974, was designed to withstand atomic blasts and was initially intended to house vital telecommunications equipment. It was envisioned as a communication nerve center, fortified against nuclear threats, by the architectural firm John Carl Warnecke & Associates.

This imposing structure, a gray tower of concrete and granite soaring 550 feet into the New York skyline, remains, unlike any other building in its vicinity. Unlike neighboring residential and office buildings, it does not have a single window and remains unilluminated. At night, it takes on an eerie presence, and by day it casts a giant shadow, its square vents emitting a faint hum, often drowned out by the city’s bustling sounds.

For decades, 33 Thomas Street, also nicknamed the “Long Lines Building,” has captured the imagination of New Yorkers as one of the city’s weirdest and most iconic skyscrapers. But the true purpose of this enigmatic structure has remained largely concealed, shrouded in secrecy.

The Secret Behind 33 Thomas Street

Beyond its enigmatic exterior, 33 Thomas Street conceals a deeper secret. This building appears to be more than just a telecommunications hub. Evidence from documents obtained by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, along with architectural plans and interviews with former AT&T employees, suggests that 33 Thomas Street served as an NSA surveillance site, code-named Titanpointe.

The NSA’s involvement goes beyond mere speculation. Inside the building, there’s a major international gateway switch that routes phone calls between the U.S. and countries worldwide. The NSA is believed to have tapped into these calls from a secure facility within the AT&T building. This covert surveillance program has targeted not only international organizations like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank but also numerous countries, including U.S. allies.

While AT&T has cooperated with the NSA on surveillance, few details have emerged about the specific role of facilities like 33 Thomas Street in carrying out top-secret programs. The Snowden documents, however, provide unprecedented insight into how NSA equipment has been integrated into AT&T’s network in New York City. This integration reveals the methods and technology employed by the agency to gather communications data from the company’s systems.

The NSA’s presence within this iconic skyscraper raises questions about the boundaries of surveillance in the modern world. As Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the liberty and national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice, points out, “This is yet more proof that our communications service providers have become, whether willingly or unwillingly, an arm of the surveillance state.” The deep integration of the NSA within domestic communications infrastructure challenges the notion that such surveillance can be neatly confined to non-American targets.

Related Posts

Typhoon Yinxing makes landfall, Philippines calls evacuations, puts troops on standby

MANILA, Nov 5 (Reuters) – The Philippines ordered evacuations, stockpiled food and put soldiers on standby in preparation for Typhoon Yinxing, officials said on Tuesday, as the…

What Does Your Brain Say? Tree or People?

Put your observational skills to the test with this intriguing visual quiz! Your initial perception of the image can offer insights into whether you lean more towards…

The Cow Math Puzzle: A Brain Teaser for the Curious Mind

Yes, I’ve heard of that math puzzle featuring a cow that’s been circulating on Twitter! It’s been generating quite a bit of buzz with people debating the…

Times People Experienced Creepy And Disgusting Moments

Have you ever come across something that made you feel uncomfortable? It’s something that happens to all of us at some point, and it can be quite…

Brain Teaser: Can you identify the error in this family’s dining room photo in under 15 seconds?

IQ Test using BraBrain Teaser: Try to identify the error in the family’s dining room picture in this entertaining quiz. In 15 seconds, can you find the…

Weeping elephants mourn a lost baby in a funeral march like humans 

Parveen Kaswan, a forest ranger in the Indian Foreign Service, posted a video of Indian elephants performing a human-like funeral service for a baby elephant last Friday….

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *