the remains of some digital infrastructure

A stack of discarded servers sitting on the loading dock of 500 South 27th St. in Philadelphia, a large, regional AT&T telecommunications facility. This loading dock sits directly below the sidewalk approach onto the new South Street Bridge. This equipment, waiting to be discarded, indicates that something goes on here, even if very little activity is visible. Rarely are workers to be seen inside the building or outside on the grounds. This building is very interesting in its brick, bunkered anonymity. It has no entrance visible from the street, few windows, and no signage other than an AT&T sign on the roof, visible from the South Street Bridge but not the sidewalk. At the same time, this site is a regional connection point for AT&T's mobile phone networks. Connecting people, in this instance, occurs in a space disconnected from its neighbors, a walled off fortress that is integral in producing and maintaining mobile connectivity.