November 17, 2016
Tribeca's AT&T Long Lines Building is a prime example of Brutalist architecture, with its hulking slab form and imposing concrete facade. But what really draws curious gazes is its lack of windows. Pair this with the fact that the 550-foot telephone exchange tower was built to withstand a nuclear blast and keep 1,500 people safe from toxic radiation for two weeks, has three subterranean floors, and isn't illuminated, and you've got quite the case to back up reports that the building is a secret NSA spy hub (h/t TRD). The Intercept analyzed data from former CIA employee Edward Snowden's leaked documents that point to the fact that 33 Thomas Street is an NSA site code named TITANPOINTE, from which the agency has tapped the likes of the UN, World Bank, and at least 38 countries under its controversial BLARNEY surveillance program.
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