the long lines building
if androids dream of electric sheep, then it must be that they sleep — but where do they do so?
in the warehouses of the industrious factories that built them? in hangars deep below the earth where synchronized madness hums them into a frenzied lull? or perhaps simply at home?
could it be that they take part in their slumber in a fortress of concrete rising out of the ground deep in the lower western side of manhattan? one with entire floors dedicated to the housing of machinery, gigantic cooling vents that usher in the outside air to keep its residents from overheating, and a surprising lack of windows to adhere to maximum security protocols. surely a more perfect place for robot repose does not exist
such are the images that the austere, concrete-clad long lines building at 33 thomas street in manhattan dares us to imagine. its evocative exterior and utilitarian design make it one of the best examples of brutalist architecture in new york city, and thus has earned its rightful place in the city skyline. but along with honor comes notoriety — the long lines building is arguably the most secretive building in the city
so while we’re left to imagine all of the androids getting comfortably tucked into bed inside it, the only other things we can do is look up at this brutalist behemoth and wonder if they’re dreaming
what is the long lines building?
33 thomas street is a telecommunications hub designed by architect john carl warnecke in 1969 and completed in 1974. it is located in manhattan’s tribeca neighborhood
according to atlasobscura, the long lines building was originally created to “house at&t’s carrier exchanges for their long distance telephone switches” — i.e., the company’s long lines, the building’s namesake. nycurbanism calls it the “largest long-distance phone call processing center” and cites a new york times article written in 1994 that claims it processed an average of 175 million calls per day. the building, at one point in time, housed one of three major 4ess switches which are used in long-distance telephony
the building is believed to continue to operate as storage for communications equipment — including some belonging to verizon — and some of at&t’s datacenter processing. it’s now also synonymously referred to by its address — 33 thomas street — and has more-or-less reached the status of urban legend. its much more mysterious perception in the public eye is fueled by its design and its reported double-life, not to mention its haunting presence in the manhattan skyline
33 thomas street: a tale of form and function
there’s something quite special about the long lines building in that it somehow manages to both separate itself from the rest of the skyline and blend in seamlessly with it. on one hand, it is shaped by intention and purpose as demanded by its utilitarian principles. on the other hand, the building wraps this utilitarianism in a sleek and monochromatic exterior that lessens its brutalist burden on the eye
so, while many of the city’s other buildings strive to be flashier, even other brutalist structures like 945 madison ave, the long lines building quietly stands its ground as a notable structure that doesn’t try too hard to further distinguish itself from the other buildings
architecture and form
standing at 550-odd feet, the brutalist building stretches upwards from the intersections of thomas and worth streets with church street and broadway. its exterior is made up of precast concrete slabs that are wrapped in textured swedish red granite faces that are flame-retardant. these granite faces lend the building a beige hue that turns the color of toasted marshmallow when the evening sun breathes life into it
the long lines building is as smooth in appearance as it is in texture, a look that’s aided by the remarkable fact that the building is completely windowless. yes, that’s right — there’s not a single window on 33 thomas street. the only things that keep this massive hunk of concrete from being exactly that are its two most distinguishing features: the long lines that run entirely along its sides (presumably an architectural nod to the building’s purported purpose), and the enormous vents that jut out of it
the vents are present about a third of the way up and then again at the very top on all sides of the building except the one facing east, where they’re only found at the top.they may appear only as black rectangular holes protr uding out of the building, but they are the jewels on the crown of nyc’s architectural anti-hero, the brutalist and futuristic villain that seems to have come straight out of a dystopian novel — or at least antonio sant’elia’s sketchbook. they are the vigilantes of utilitarianism — so closely entwined with brutalism — amid the stark contrast of the architecture around it
for example, the jenga tower (56 leonard street), which is essentially nothing but glass, stands just half a block to the north. on green street between grand and canal in soho — my favorite place from which to look at the long lines building — the contrast is found quite literally between the cobblestone street and the typical cast-iron architecture of the neighborhood
the building’s best vantage point, however, may be directly at its base, where your upward gaze is guided by the granite-wrapped giant’s distinctive lines towards the sky before you’re left wondering just how exactly this building came to be
utilitarian function
technically tall enough be 50 stories, the long lines building actually only has 29 floors, excluding the three basement levels. this is due to the 18-foot floor-to-ceiling height of each floor, presumably built this way in order to accommodate all of the equipment and machinery inside
33 thomas street also has pilasters on three of its sides. these contain its vital infrastructure such as elevators, stairs, mechanical equipment, and the air ducts and vents that culminate in the building’s trademark rectangular holes
in order to literally support its electrical guts, the building is reinforced in such a way that it can withstand loads of up to 400 pounds per square foot. as written in placesjournal, architectural historian addison godel calls the long lines building the “densest inhabitable object in new york city.” and yet, such is the weight of the machinery inside 33 thomas street that there’s a limit to how many people can be on a floor at any given time
and why the lack of windows? we have to imagine that, as a building entirely dedicated to being a major telecommunications hub, its insides are an amalgamation of batteries, circuit boards, computers, servers, switches, and wires, all running in tune to the whirring of machines. so, the lack of windows keeps the sun out (temperature regulation) and blocks the curious stares of prying eyes (security) — both important factors in ensuring the operational efficiency of a national communications center
a building of secrecy and mystery
now, if by this point my language used to describe this building has been guarded, or even speculative, well, then that’s because it is. why? 33 thomas street is shrouded in mystery in a sort of sworn-to-secrecy type of way. its appearance immediately catches your attention, its form and function make you wonder what it’s guarding, and even its hidden-in-plain-sight presence in the new york city skyline is just off-putting enough to make you question if it’s actually supposed to be there
what’s more, few people have actually been inside the long lines building. its original design included habitable spaces — a lounge, a cafeteria, and offices — but nowadays it’s unclear if the public even has access to building (there are reports of school tours being admitted into the building, but the cold, eery emptiness of its entrance and the lack of pictures of its inside makes me question whether you can simply go and enter the building)
there’s a plaza on the east side of the building, but it’s privately owned and it’s locked off — there’s even a sign prohibiting communal activity within it. moreover, as you walk around the base of the building, you notice that there are cameras everywhere. stay a little longer, and the uneasy feeling of being watched will reach you
the nypost has reported on what life is like inside the long lines building and includes a few pictures of the inside that were taken in 2004. what else lies in 33 thomas street is only for us to imagine
is 33 thomas street resistant to nuclear attack?
as if the long lines building wasn’t already weird enough, yes, at least by the intention of its design, 33 thomas street can withstand a nuclear attack and its residual fallout. in fact, a project brief prepared by the architect’s office states that the building’s exterior is radiation-proof, and one can imagine that given the density of its construction material, it can surely withstand a blast to some capacity
but even if a nuclear attack isn’t the exact doomsday scenario the long lines building is ultimately prepared for, it does possess the extraordinary ability to operate off-grid in a self-sufficient manner for up to two weeks. and not just that, it can do so while sustaining the livelihood of 1,500 humans thanks to the food and water stored in the building’s vaults, in addition to the 250,000 gallons of fuel reserved to power the building’s generators. a curious fact: when hurricane sandy struck new york city in 2012, the long lines buildings was one of the few buildings in the city that still had electricity
in recalling the utilitarian nature of 33 thomas street, however, we’re reminded that the building’s purpose was never to protect people, but rather to shield the nucleus of communications found deep inside it
is the long lines building a secret spy hub?
in 2016, the intercept published an investigative piece that claims that the long lines building leads a double-life as a surveillance facility. this information augments the already terrifying mystique of 33 thomas street, but whereas other publications hone in on this point, i feel like it detracts from what i’m trying to accomplish: educating readers on the architecture of the long lines building
however, i’d be remiss not to mention this point at all. so, to be perfectly clear, i do not agree with nor deny the claims laid out by the intercept. all i can do is share the information and you, the reader, can come up with your own conclusions
what would new york city’s skyline be without the long lines building?
despite its distinguishable characteristics, it’s admittedly a rather unobtrusive building when considering the skyline as a whole. it exists for itself and it doesn’t seek glory. moreover, it doesn’t have any external lightning, so when the sun goes down, it stands guard over the city as a silent shadow
but therein lies the key to 33 thomas street: in true utilitarian fashion, it simply functions as designed. and by doing so, the long lines building forms an integral part of the city’s architectural landscape, so much so that if it were to suddenly go missing, we’d be left wondering just where that eerie building — with all of its robots — went
33 thomas street: quick facts
architect: john carl warnecke
completion date: 1974
address: 33 thomas street, ny, ny 10007
use: communications center
photos of the long lines building
sources: archdaily | architectuul | atomic-ranch | doobybrain | la vanguardia | welcome-to-times-square | wikipedia