Old Post Office in Uptown Waterloo

Nominated for the Paul Oberman Award for Adaptive Reuse: Large-Scale/Team/Corporate

The revitalization of the Old Post Office in Uptown Waterloo was a unique opportunity to breathe new life into an iconic landmark. The project skillfully balanced heritage preservation with contemporary architectural innovation, transforming a historically significant yet functionally outdated building into a vibrant, multifunctional urban space that meets modern accessibility and building standards without compromising its historic character. 

The Old Post Office holds significant cultural relevance in the community. It has served as a vital public building, embedded in the lives of the residents. Historically, the post office was a central hub for communication and social interaction. Its presence on King St. is a constant, tangible link to the past. By restoring and repurposing the Old Post Office, the project honours this cultural significance while contributing to the current fabric of the community with new office and retail spaces. Completed in 1913 and designed by D. Ewart, chief architect for Canada, the Old Post Office features Romanesque architecture with a stone gable, turrets, and a clock tower. Restoring these elements and meeting current building standards required meticulous preservation and modern engineering solutions, particularly given the building’s deterioration. The existing structure was modernized to include HVAC units, ventilation, and accessibility features, seamlessly integrating an elevator without altering historical elements or the roofline, maintaining the original building’s aesthetic. The new infill building that wraps around the Old Post Office on two sides stands apart, complements the existing structure, and maintains the clock tower’s hierarchy in the composition. The completed revitalization blends the Old Post Office’s rich history with new ways to engage with the spaces, ensuring continued community relevance.

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