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 of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, execut ...

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. 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 Democratic Party politician from Massachusetts who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, the third-l ...

, 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 of the U.S. government, independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. It was established in Marc ...

, 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.

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, 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 Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations: * Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia * Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana) * Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) * Environmenta ...

awarded the structure the

Energy Star Energy Star (trademarked ENERGY STAR) is an Efficient energy use, energy-efficiency program established in 1992. It is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The EPA ...

for its white reflective roofing system, installed to reduce the

urban heat island effect Urban areas usually experience the urban heat island (UHI) effect; that is, they are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparent when winds ar ...

, as well as its use of low-VOC (

volatile organic compound Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature. They are common and exist in a variety of settings and products, not limited to Indoor mold, house mold, Upholstery, upholstered furnitur ...

) 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