Sir Charles Tupper Building

Sir Charles Tupper Building


General information
Type	Canadian government office
Location	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Address	2720 Riverside Drive
Coordinates	45°22′31″N 75°41′35″W / 45.375165°N 75.692925°W / 45.375165; -75.692925
Named for	Charles Tupper
Construction started	1955
Completed	1960
Client	Canadian government
Owner	Public Works and Government Services Canada
Technical details
Floor area	31,260 m² (336,500 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Hazlegrove and Lithwick

The Sir Charles Tupper Building has since its completion in 1960 served as the headquarters of the Department of Public Works, now Public Works and Government Services Canada. It also houses some Health Canada operations, notably the headquarters of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency. It was named in honour of the Father of Confederation and sixth Prime Minister of Canada.^[1]

The Tupper building is one of the five original facilities making up the Confederation Heights development completed from the late 1950s into the 1960s, in accordance with the Greber Plan to decentralise Federal government functions.

Built in International Style on a large sloping site at Confederation Heights, the Tupper building consists of five thin, interlocking rectangular blocks, four/five stories tall, laid out at right angles in a geometric, stair-like arrangement. While the internal arrangements of the building have changed over time, its outside appearance has remained the same.

In recognition of its architectural importance, the Sir Charles Tupper building was added to the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2007.