Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Federal Building (Boston)


The Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Federal Building is an administrative center of the U.S. federal government in Boston, Massachusetts. Named for former Massachusetts congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill, the building houses the New England regional offices of numerous federal agencies, e.g. the Social Security Administration, the Peace Corps, 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., Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987. It was built on the site of the former Hotel Manger.

Tenants

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 for its white reflective roofing system, installed to reduce the urban heat island effect, as well as its use of low-VOC 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.

Image gallery