De Grote Post
Public buildings
Restoration and extension of a modernist post office into a vibrant cultural centre.
De Grote Post in Ostend is a listed former post office designed by modernist architect Gaston Eysselinck in 1945. To give the building a new life as a cultural centre, the existing complex was restored and extended with new theatre spaces and public areas.
At the heart of the design is a new amphitheatre that connects the different parts of the building. Beneath this outdoor space lies the main theatre, accommodating over 400 spectators and directly accessible from the historic counter hall. Following the roofline of the theatre below, the amphitheatre forms, together with the counter hall, the social heart of De Grote Post.
Transparent footbridges connect the various spaces, guiding visitors towards the theatre halls and multi-purpose rooms. The building also accommodates exhibition spaces, production and rehearsal rooms, and offices. The amphitheatre and counter hall serve as meeting places for visitors, artists, employees and technicians, while the circulation routes allow different users to move through the building independently.
The relationship with the city is reinforced by the cultural café on Witte Nonnenstraat, which connects De Grote Post with its immediate surroundings and brings its cultural programme into the streetscape.
Multiple entrances and a flexible layout allow different parts of the building to open independently, depending on the activities taking place. De Grote Post thus combines the preservation of a significant modernist landmark with a contemporary cultural programme, creating space for encounters while allowing the building to function in different ways at the same time.
