ODA skyscraper nears completion atop historic post office in Rotterdam
A 150-metre-high skyscraper punctuated by arched windows is nearing completion in Rotterdam, designed by New York studio ODA as part of an adaptive reuse project involving an old post office.
Aptly named Post, the skyscraper sits above the historic building, which was built in 1916 in the port city's Coolsingel district.
In the exclusive photos taken by local photographer Andrew Campion, the 43-storey tower's arched windows are seen in a mix of sizes and with deep tiled reveals.
ODA is overhauling the 58,000-square-metre post office with local studio Braaksma & Roos Architectenbureau for the developer Omnam Group.
The landmark, which has for a long time been vacant, is one of the only structures in the city to survive the Rotterdam Blitz in 1940.
Its overhaul and towering extension will see it transformed into a mixed-use complex.
The project was first revealed in 2019. At the time, ODA's executive director Eran Chen said the project would represent "the strength of Rotterdam today".
"We believe that it's time for the Post to stand not only as a memory, but also as an expression of the strength of Rotterdam today as a vibrant, connected, centre of culture, renewal, and quality of life," said Chen.
The skyscraper slots within an internal courtyard within the former post office building, elevated on a vaulted plinth. Once complete, it will contain a hotel connected to the upper floors of the post office.
Its facade is designed to echo the spacing of the elevations of the existing building, while setting itself apart from "the series of glass-facade towers along the new Rotterdam skyline".
Meanwhile, the post office's original structure will be restored, including its 22.5-metre-high vaulted Great Hall. It will be accessed by two existing street-level entrances and lined with shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes.
Elsewhere in Rotterdam, MVRDV is currently designing an office block as "colourful addition" to the city, while MAD recently completed a pair of giant helical staircases for the Fenix Museum of Migration that acts as "living room for people".
The photography is by Andrew Campion.
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