The Post

Key city property re-envisioned as green, mixed-use landmark

The Post is an adaptive reuse of an existing 1972 United States Post Office located on a 16-acre site a few miles from downtown San Diego. The three-story, 464,000-square-foot redevelopment will include creative office, retail, restaurant and residential components as well as extensive outdoor space.

As one of the largest and tallest structures in the surrounding area, the existing building, which was once the central post office for the city, offers high visibility. The Post is designed to serve as the new social link between a residential neighborhood to the south and dense commercial and industrial zones to the north. The project is a new landmark for an underperforming district destined for positive change.

The design transforms the sprawling concrete structure by opening it up with large expanses of glass that create new indoor-outdoor connections. Massive, glazed fold-up doors allow occupants to flow seamlessly between the new entry plaza and lobby. The existing building’s signature concrete tower, which borders on Brutalist-style architecture, becomes a signage element overlaid with an abstract map of the city.

Inside, designers exposed the existing structure’s concrete waffle slab, creating a gridded backdrop at the ceiling. New skylights infuse the space with natural light. The cavernous central atrium includes a feature stairway, streamlined LED lighting and informal seating areas. Colored translucent glass rails and windows add a playful touch. A planted three-story “green wall” is adjacent to the stairs.

Formerly a blacktop sea of parking, the surrounding site is resurfaced with ample green space, including a new park that fronts the main street. Public plazas and walkways activate the property. As an amenity for tenants, an interior courtyard includes overhead walks, green walls, outdoor lounge seating and a cascading water feature.