The Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Federal Building is an administrative center of the

U.S. federal government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fed ...

in Boston, Massachusetts. Named for former Massachusetts congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives

Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, representing northern Boston, Massachusetts, as ...

, the building houses the New England regional offices of numerous federal agencies, e.g. the Social Security Administration, the

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F ...

, Boston Passport Agency, etc. It is located at 10 Causeway Street.

History

Built in 1986, the building is named after Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (1912–1994), Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987. It was built on the site of the former Hotel Manger.

Tenants

* Department of Agriculture; APHIS/PPQ; Food & Nutrition Service * Department of Commerce; Export Enforcement * Department of Homeland Security; Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Secret Service; U.S.

Homeland Security Investigations The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration tha ...

, U.S. Customs & Border Protection * Department of Housing & Urban Development * Department of Justice; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives * Department of Labor; Office of Administrative Law Judges * Department of State; U.S. Passport Agency, Diplomatic Security * Department of the Treasury; Internal Revenue Service * Federal Labor Relations Authority * General Services Administration * Government Accountability Office * Hanscom Federal Credit Union * National Labor Relations Board * Small Business Administration * Social Security Administration * Defense Contract Management Agency * Federal Protective Services * Census Bureau

Architecture

Built mainly of pink granite, the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Federal Building is characterized by intersecting triangular and chamfered-cornered rectangular sections, horizontal ribbon windows, a sheltered entry loggia off Causeway Street, a sequence of round bollards placed along its front elevation to deter traffic and truck bombers, and a large glass atrium that pours sunlight into its center concourse. In 2000 and 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the structure the

Energy Star Energy Star (trademarked ''ENERGY STAR'') is a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that promotes energy efficiency. The program provides information on the energy consumption of pr ...

for its white reflective roofing system, installed to reduce the

urban heat island effect An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban area, urban or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human impact on the environment, human activities. The temperature difference is usually larger at nigh ...

, as well as its use of low-VOC (

volatile organic compound Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapour pressure at room temperature. High vapor pressure correlates with a low boiling point, which relates to the number of the sample's molecules in the surrounding air, a ...

) paints and recycled-content ceiling tiles and metal studs.

Art installations

Since October 1986, the building has displayed Jane Kaufman's “Crystal Hanging," a cascade of 9,000 glass crystals measuring high and across, in its atrium, as well as Mary Miss' "Cascading Wall Fountain," an abstract sculpture of dried twigs, plywood and painted cardboard.

References

Image gallery

Image:ONeill_Building_Government_Center_Boston_37.png, Interior, O'Neill building Image:ONeill_Building_Government_Center_Boston_38.png, Jane Kaufman's "Crystal Hanging," interior, O'Neill building Image:ONeill_Building_Government_Center_Boston_39.png, Mary Miss' "Cascading Wall Fountain," interior, O'Neill building {{Coord, 42.36515, -71.06309, display=title Buildings of the United States government in Massachusetts Government Center, Boston Government buildings in Boston Office buildings in Boston West End, Boston Government buildings completed in 1986 Office buildings completed in 1986 1980s architecture in the United States