Off The Record
Why Is There A Mysterious 29 Story Building In NYC With No Windows
Like any large city, New York City is riddled with secrets; after all, who knows what you could hide in plain sight?
One of the city’s many peculiarities is a skyscraper at 33 Thomas Street. I know what you’re thinking—skyscraper in New York, what the heck, but wait till you see this structure.
Regardless of your feelings toward brutalist architecture, that looks really amazing.
Across the city, 33 Thomas Street presents an incredibly beautiful silhouette. Even if you’re not a lover of brutalist design, you have to realize that this skyscraper, nestled in a forest of shimmering plate glass, is rather beautiful.
However, the one feature that has everyone talking about it is the building’s flanks’ total lack of windows. Rather, it ascends into the heavens, akin to a concrete obelisk.
Many have wondered what in the world goes on inside because there are no windows. It resembles anything from George Orwell’s 1984 portrayal of the Ministry of Love or Terry Gilliam’s dystopian Brazil.
It raises interesting issues about what the interior of the structure would seem like in the absence of windows—like a completely different universe from the city outside.
Overlooking the street, the structure has a commanding presence.
As you can connect up phone lines without windows, it makes sense that the building’s official use is as a telephone exchange.
However, other studies indicate that the structure may possibly include mass surveillance technology and have connected it to a National Security Agency listening operation.
With the building’s intimidating aspect, it’s easy to understand why people are drawn to it. The massive protruding blocks, simplistic shapes, and plain concrete surface almost give the impression of an antique monument of some sort.
People’s theories about what goes on inside have gotten somewhat out of control. One peculiar notion that has been floated is that the building serves as a nuclear shelter of some kind.
Although I’m not an architect, it seems to me that the last type of building to be used to resist a nuclear blast would be a tall, thin one. That would be a horrible concept, as everyone who has played Jenga will understand.
As much as I would hate to break the bubble, the most straightforward explanation—that is, a massive phone exchange—is most likely the right one.
An investigation by The Intercept linked it to an FBI building nearby, raising questions about whether or not it’s the location of an NSA surveillance post.
It might be, or it might not be a conspiracy.
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