What secret hides this windowless skyscraper located in the heart of New York? – Evening edition West-France

The 168 meter high building in the middle of Manhattan (United States) and without windows fuels speculation. Officially housing a telecom operator, it could also be used by the NSA, the American intelligence agency.

This is an intriguing building to say the least. In New York, at 33 Thomas Street, in the Tribeca district, there is a 29-story skyscraper, 168 meters high and without windows on any of its four facades. Only the 10^e and 29^e Floors have large openings for ventilation. Each floor is 5.5 meters high. The exterior walls are made of concrete panels covered with granite. The tower has a food reserve to support the needs of 1,500 people. A true fortress in the middle of Manhattan. But what is it for?

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Inaugurated in 1974, the “Long Lines Building” originally housed telecommunications equipment from AT&T, the American telecoms giant. “The building and its telephone lines were designed to withstand a nuclear explosion and its fallout and be self-sufficient for two weeks in war conditions,” can we even read a Wikipedia page dedicated to this skyscraper. But speculation is rife.

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A giant listening station

In 2016, the American investigative site The Intercept, revealed another function of this skyscraper: it would be a spy center for the NSA (National Security Agency). The building would actually be a giant listening station.

Its code name would be: “Titanpointe”. The powerful American intelligence agency would have a room and cutting-edge equipment allowing it to capture communications to or from foreign countries.

From the observatory of the One World Trade Center tower, we can also see satellite antennas on the roof of the building. But it’s difficult to know more. A twin tower was planned, but it was never built.