There's a really bizarre windowless skyscraper in New York City, and one man has shared his experience of working there.
New York City is full of weird and wonderful buildings - that's why it's one of the greatest cities on Earth.
From the Chrysler Building to the Empire State Building, it has loads of structures for locals and tourists to look at in amazement.
But there's one windowless building that is so mysterious that people have been eager to know what's inside.
We may have just found out.
In the heart of lower Manhattan, 33 Thomas Street - commonly known as the "Windowless Building" - has intrigued New Yorkers for decades.
Towering 550 feet into the skyline without a single window, the imposing structure has fueled speculation about its true purpose since its completion in 1974.
The building, originally designed as a telecommunications hub, has long been a subject of curiosity.
While some insist it is simply a data center, others believe it serves a more secretive function.
One man, who worked in the building as a steamfitter in the early 2000s, shared his experience with the Daily Mail under the condition of anonymity.
His son, who worked alongside him, revealed that certain rooms were strictly off-limits to all visitors.
"There were rooms we couldn't get into. They specifically told us not to enter, and we couldn't ask what's inside or why we can't go in," he said.
The crew was ultimately required to install wires around these restricted rooms - an unusual request in their field.
The son also claimed that workers discovered confidential documents in a basement filing cabinet, detailing protocols for handling machinery in the event of a radiation attack.
Originally constructed for AT&T’s long-distance telephone exchange, 33 Thomas Street remained a key part of the company's network until 1999.
Today, some local carriers still use it for telephone switching, while parts of the building reportedly serve as a high-security data center.
According to The Intercept, which conducted an investigation in 2016, the building was designed to withstand an atomic blast.
The publication reported that its 29 floors, including three basement levels, contain enough supplies to sustain 1,500 people for two weeks in the event of a disaster.
However, the structure’s primary purpose was not human survival, but the protection of critical telecommunications infrastructure.
Architecturally, the skyscraper was envisioned as a communications fortress by John Carl Warnecke & Associates.
It was once considered the world’s largest long-distance phone processing center, built under the guidance of the New York Telephone Company, a subsidiary of AT&T.
However, a deeper investigation by The Intercept, supported by documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, suggests that 33 Thomas Street is more than just a telephone exchange.
The facility is reportedly a key surveillance site for the National Security Agency (NSA), codenamed "TITANPOINTE."
While the leaked documents do not explicitly name the building, architectural plans, public records, and interviews with former AT&T employees point to 33 Thomas Street as a crucial NSA surveillance hub.
Despite ongoing speculation, the most logical explanation remains that 33 Thomas Street is primarily a telecommunications facility with enhanced security features.
But that doesn't stop other theories from popping up...