Revitalizing an industrial building rooted in Vancouver heritage and transforming it into a vibrant hub for a downtown community

Located in Vancouver’s Crosstown neighbourhood, The Post occupies a full city block and was once the main regional processing facility for Canada Post—a historical landmark and an important example of Vancouver’s mid-century architecture.

Crosstown is pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented, and at the doorstep of the city’s cultural, sports and entertainment districts. When the team undertook the revitalization of the Canada Post building, it had a bold vision: to develop a vibrant retail hub with gathering spaces for the surrounding community as well as best-in-class office space to meet the needs of Vancouver’s emerging knowledge economy.

Celebrating Heritage through Sustainable Reuse
The design leverages the building’s existing central podium and welded-steel frame, creating large floorplates that can accommodate open-concept floorplans, ideal for tech companies. Set atop this structure, two new office towers, rising to 21 and 22 storeys, modernize the property and offer flexibility for a variety of businesses.

The team engaged heritage conservators to retain and restore many of the building’s distinctive elements. These include the blue and terracotta tile façade, the relief sculpture of a postal worker and coats of arms, as well as original artwork and etched windows.

On track to achieve LEED Gold Certification, The Post’s building systems will leverage waste heat recovery, passive solar shading, light shelves that reflect daylight into the interior and an energy-efficient building envelope. The adaptive reuse of the structure results in a savings of approximately 25,000 tonnes of carbon and diverts significant construction waste from local landfills.

Connecting with the Community
QuadReal is committed to being an integral part of the community. At pre-development open houses, team members introduced themselves and the project to neighbouring residents and businesses and worked in partnership with the City of Vancouver throughout the planning process. For those living and working in the area who want to know more about what’s happening on the site, QuadReal provides regular construction updates at www.thepostnews.ca.

With the intention of providing common spaces for the community, the design incorporates an airy, natural light-filled atrium, an outdoor plaza and green spaces that will invite local residents and visitors to gather at The Post.

QuadReal also engaged seven Vancouver artists, commissioning 12 interpretive works. These are featured in materials to promote The Post and celebrate the location’s history and significance to the city. There are plans to further promote local arts and culture, making the site a destination for tourists and locals alike.

One of the art pieces commissioned for The Post

Partnering to Support Emerging Needs
The Post will feature 1.1 million square feet of office space and 185,000 square feet of retail. It will also be home to more than 7,000 workers, with Amazon occupying 100 per cent of the office space and enhancing Vancouver’s reputation in the emerging knowledge economy.

Loblaws CityMarket will provide convenient access to fresh produce and groceries, a café and grab-and-go food options to meet the needs of a growing residential population. Other shops and services will include lifestyle-oriented retail, fine dining options and food halls, fitness facilities, a pharmacy and more.

At A Glance

• 1.1 million square feet of office space – the largest office building in Vancouver
• 185,000 square feet of retail
• Amazon and Loblaws CityMarket as anchor tenants
• A central atrium, green spaces and outdoor plazas open to the public
• Restored historical features
• LEED Gold certification
• 6,000 workers once complete; an additional 3,500 to 4,000 local jobs during construction

This is one of the most ambitious heritage redevelopments in Canada’s history, and reflects QuadReal’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.

The Post is scheduled for phased opening in 2022/23.