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The Convergence Building is an abandoned structure in Virginia, United States. It is a three-story building with a height of approximately 10 meters. Constructed in 1950 as the headquarters building for the United Nations' Scientific Convergence Project, it was abandoned in 1952 when the entire project was discontinued. Since then, it has remained mostly neglected, with minimal maintenance and no attempts at sale. Since its abandonment, the building has become a breeding ground for urban legends and conspiracy theories.
History and size
The building's construction began in 1949 alongside the project's planning, and it opened in 1950 with three above-ground floors and two below-ground floors. However, expansion of the underground facilities continued after that, and the exact scale up to the point of abandonment remains classified. As of now, the confirmed dimensions of the building are three above-ground floors and five below-ground floors, with indications that it once housed over 100 laboratories.
Closure
Following the official discontinuation of the Scientific Convergence Project by the UN in 1952, all expansion works on the building ceased. Despite attempts by the UN to sell the building, no bidders came forward, resulting in its non-sale. As a result, the UN retains ownership of the building to this day, with the entire premises fenced off and guarded. As of May 2001, the UN announced no plans to repurpose the building for any other use.
Urban legends
After the closure of the building, various urban legends spread from people attempting to trespass into the premises. One notable incident occurred in 1954 when treasure hunter Kevin Smith and three others trespassed onto the surrounding grounds and allegedly heard loud explosion noises from within the abandoned building. They were subsequently intercepted by security guards and escorted off the premises. An anonymous informant reported witnessing military personnel patrolling the building site in 1958. In June 1965, Lee Corder and two other teenagers purportedly sneaked into the building to use illicit drugs, only to encounter a strange dog-like creature inside. According to their accounts, the creature resembled "Cerberus," vicious with three heads and a size comparable to a human's. However, because they were under the influence of drugs at the time of their statement, the reliability of their testimony is questionable.
Conspiracy theories
Due to the urban legends, various conspiracy theories have circulated. However, the UN has officially stated that these accounts are unsubstantiated.
Alien encounter theory
Famous author Kyle Turner, known for his works on encounters with extraterrestrial life, published a pamphlet titled "Extraterrestrials and World Governments" in 1956. In the document, he claimed that extraterrestrial beings secretly collaborated with governments worldwide, pointing to the Convergence Building, where such collaboration allegedly occurred. Subsequently, numerous occult groups interested in extraterrestrial phenomena have attempted to infiltrate the building, but most attempts have failed. Even those who managed to infiltrate successfully have yet to report encountering actual extraterrestrial beings or creatures resembling them.
Radiation experiment theory
Another well-known conspiracy theory associated with this building is the notion that all occupants of the building were subjected to radiation experiments. Many researchers who resided in the building disappeared, and while radiation levels detected in the basement levels were not harmful to humans, they were at levels that would not naturally occur. In response, the UN officially announced in February 1959 that radiation had been used in experiments, and accidents had occurred. Still, they were at controllable levels, and no experiments directly investigated radiation on the researchers.