Hoofdpostkantoor

The Hoofdpostkantoor of Rotterdam is an old post office located on Coolsingel Avenue. It was recognized as a national monument in 2000.

The building was designed by Gustav Cornelis Bremer and constructed between 1915 and 1923. It combines different styles, including classical and art-deco elements. The decorative reliefs on the facade were created by Joop van Lunteren.

Behind its classical appearance, the interior of the Central Postal Office surprises with its spaciousness. The grand foyer has a vaulted ceiling that reaches a height of 23 meters. Natural stone, glass, sculptures, and wrought iron adorn the walls, which also integrate the service counters. The dome on top of the building is made of glass.

Hoofdpostkantoor Rotterdam — The Central Postal Office of Rotterdam

Past and Future

This building is not the first main post office in Rotterdam. Between 1875 and 1923, the main post office was located on Blaak Street, and before that, it was situated at Wijnhaven Pier.

Due to the limited space in the Blaak building, the decision was made to construct a new post office on Coolsingel. To make way for the new building, the old Zandstraat neighborhood, known for its poverty and prostitution, was demolished.

During the same period, other buildings were also built on Coolsingel, including the City Hall, a stock exchange, chain stores, banks, and insurance companies. Rotterdam aimed to transform Coolsingel into a fashionable area.

Construction of Coolsingel began in September 1915, amidst World War I. After eight years, the Central Postal Office was completed at a cost of over 5,000,000 Dutch guilders, a significant amount of money at that time.

Interestingly, the post office building was intentionally positioned slightly off-center from the adjacent City Hall to highlight the latter’s prominence. However, this design choice created a sort of entrance courtyard for the post office, which had the opposite effect originally intended.

During the war, temporary shops were established in this “courtyard.” Although most of them were demolished in the 1960s, a tobacco shop remained. Eventually, the tobacco shop was replaced by a McDonald’s, which itself was later demolished in 2015 to make way for a new one.

Since 2008, the Central Postal Office has ceased its postal operations and has been used for exhibitions, festivals, and there have been plans to transform it into a shopping center or hotel.

In late 2021, a portion of the former Central Postal Office was demolished to make room for the construction of a residential tower.

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