[BC] Re: Bell Labs building to be demolished

[R J Carpenter]

I haven't registered to read the Times story.  I can understand the 
inability to "repurpose" if it's the Bell Labs building at Holmdel.  A 
weird building.  All the exterior is mirror glass with a corridor just 
inside. The glass was so dark that people would put their hands 
against the glass to see what the weather was like "outside"..  No 
rooms have a window.  There is a HUGE interior antrim (with a glass 
roof) containing trees, etc.  The architect forgot about heat from the 
sun and a sunshade had to be built across the top of the antrim to 
allow the air condx to win the heat battle. All the offices/labs 
are/were off interior passages - it reminded one of a bee-hive.

In case it's a different building, just ignore the above.

Back when the Bell system was being broken up, a young whipper-snapper 
Dept of Justice lawyer visited someone I knew to get his opinion.  The 
opinion was that the breakup would destroy Bell Labs, a very important 
resource for the USA.  To which the lawyer's reply was that it didn't 
matter, AT&T was "too big" and had to go.  A political decision - 
however the fellow I knew who worried about the Labs was wayl on the 
left of the political climate himself.

bob carpenter