# ODA completes POST Tower in Rotterdam Historic post office meets contemporary skyscraper - **Source:** [architecture archives | designboom | architecture & design magazine](https://brifing.si/source/1e716da2-18e6-4704-96a6-818e7860b99f) - **Published:** 2026-07-25 - **Topic:** [Design & UX](https://brifing.si/c/design) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/efc0a454-eeb1-4ce5-a83f-46024b89b4bf ## Where History Meets Modernity ODA Architecture has completed the 155-meter POST Tower next to Rotterdam's iconic historic post office. The new tower rises above the courtyard of Postkantoor, one of the rare prewar survivors of the 1940 Rotterdam Blitz. While the two structures read at different scales, their proportional connection at the base creates a striking dialogue. ## Elevating Architectural Language The tower ascends with a stone-colored grid following the post office's five-meter facade rhythm. Inspired by Gothic verticality, the design translates pointed arches into a sleek high-rise facade. It introduces a heavier, warmer surface to Rotterdam's predominantly glass skyline. ## Material Conversation Prefabricated glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) panels form staggered arches. These three-dimensional elements provide limestone-like depth while meeting technical requirements. Brick surfaces extend the historic building's material character into the new construction. ## Engineering Meets Architecture Building at this scale beside a protected national monument turned the facade into both an engineering and architectural challenge. Panel alignment maintains structural order while the staggered pattern avoids flat repetition. From afar, a unified vertical grain; up close, dynamic shadow play. ## Transforming Public Space The restoration of the 22.5-meter-high Great Hall will include a new entrance through the Rodezand facade. This addition to existing access routes will transform the former postal complex into a passage across the block. Public functions will gather beneath the vaulted ceiling and along the passageway. ## Reimagining Architectural Heritage POST Tower treats the historic structure as the starting geometry for new work. The century-old post office and contemporary skyscraper meet at the same vaulted threshold. The project contributes to Rotterdam's rebuilding identity through harmonious preservation and innovative design. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.designboom.com/architecture/arches-oda-completed-post-tower-rotterdam-netherlands/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._