AT&T Switching Center (New York City, New York)

 microwave tower / microwave transmission, telephone exchange building, postmodern (architecture)

440-foot, 21-story Brutalist-style telecom building completed in 1964. Designed by Kahn & Jacobs, it was originally built for the New York Telephone Company, and housed the companies telecommunications equipment. Like all the other telecom fortresses, this was designed to withstand considerable nuclear blast and fall-out and be self-sufficient for long periods of time. The building was completed with large openings at the top for the various antenna equipment, giving it a belfry-like appearance. Later, new openings have been added, as well as the antenna mast to the top.

The massive building is heavily set-back from Tenth Avenue to a tower on the western side of the plot. The 21-story building (equivalent of almost 40 "normal" stories due to the increased height of each floor) is predominantly white, in concrete and white enamel tiling, with a black granite base. The building's main bulk is clad into striped walls (consisting of thin strips of black granite) and the tower's western elevation has twin black stripes rising from the bottom to the top.

The main entrance is at the south end of the east facade on the avenue, one of the few openings. It has two sets of metal-and-glass double-doors with a large black granite panel above bearing an AT&T logo. There are also freight entrances and service doors at the west end of the north and south facades.