10/09/2026
One of Rotterdam’s few remaining original structures after World War II was its central post office. Located along Coolsingel Avenue in the city center, the site has been out of service for the past 15 years. After the city sold the parcel to a private developer, its huge historical value to the city necessitated a project that would rejuvenate and reimagine the original site. ODA took the post office’s engagement as a community “beehive” and erected an adaptive reuse and mixed-use tower within its footprint. Completed this May, the POST tower is 150 meters tall, rising from the post office’s west wing. The double-skin facade alludes to both the Netherlands’ modern and pre-war architectural vernaculars. As the project team developed the project, a design philosophy emerged that followed three principles: keynoting, lightness, and porosity. The arches take keynotes from the city’s historical City Hall and church-arched dormers, in addition to its masonry appearance. The double-skin facade makes room for window pop-outs that exploit the surrounding environment’s quality of light and air. The air gaps in the corners between the building and the columns establish porosity throughout the building. Read the full story in The Architect’s Newspaper.
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Project Specifications
Design architect: ODA
Architect of record: ABT
Developer & Strategic Visionary: OMNAM
Structural engineering: Pieters
Glazing Contractor: BESIX
Facade Installer: Metal Yapı
Facade consultant: Anired Group (Specialist façade installation and GRC element integration)
Facade system: Metal Yapı
Cladding: Metal Yapı
Glass: Metal Yapı
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Photographer: Ossip
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