Shanghai General Post Office Building

Brief Information

The main entrance to the post office building is set on the corner, with a Baroque tower rising above it, decorated with sculptures of Hermes, Eros, and Aphrodite. For a postal headquarters, this is an unexpectedly theatrical gesture: the building was meant not only to serve the postal service, but also to display the scale of the institution in the city.

The new building was constructed in 1922–1924, when the old postal administration had become too cramped. The site was chosen on the northern bank of Suzhou Creek, between the business center and the northern railway station. Because of the river, ceremonial architecture was not the only important concern here: the foundation was specially designed so that the water level would not damage the building. Later, part of the post office, including the inner courtyard, became the Shanghai Postal Museum, while another part was occupied by shopping centers.

What to Notice Right Away

It is worth comparing two levels of this building: the representative facade and its engineering connection to the river. The two main facades are supported by Corinthian columns, so the post office looks like an institution of state importance rather than an ordinary service building. The corner entrance gathers movement from different directions and immediately draws the eye up to the tower.

The tower is designed as a separate sign above the entrance: its Baroque form and three mythological figures make the post office almost a city symbol. The central Hermes is especially important because in ancient mythology he is associated with messages and movement; here, this image literally explains the building’s purpose. Inside, the main large-scale element was the second-floor trading hall, covering 1,200 square meters. And a detail invisible on the facade but essential is the foundation: the post office stands by Suzhou Creek, and its structure was adapted to the river level.