Post Galerie

Post Galerie (also styled POSTGALERIE) is a shopping mall in the city center of Karlsruhe, Germany. It occupies the historic former main post office building, a neo-baroque sandstone structure designed by Berlin architect Wilhelm Walter that opened in 1900 as the Imperial Post and Telegraph Office. After the building was heavily damaged in World War II and later served as the main post office, Deutsche Post AG commissioned Chapman Taylor to convert the protected monument into a modern shopping center. After two years of construction, the Post Galerie opened on 21 September 2001 as Karlsruhe's first shopping center, with construction costs of 51 million euros. The mall has about 29,000 square meters of gross leasable area across three accessible levels connected by a 22-meter-high atrium. It has been privately owned since 2007, and underwent major modernization in 2011 and 2012, including an expansion in 2015. Anchor tenants have included Primark, TK Maxx, Peek & Cloppenburg, and Decathlon, alongside a food court and restaurants. The center is managed by CEMAGG GmbH, Karlsruhe.

The building that now houses Post Galerie was constructed between 1897 and 1900 according to plans by Berlin architect Wilhelm Walter in neo-baroque style. It opened on 18 October 1900 as the Imperial Post and Telegraph Office (Kaiserliche Post- und Telegraphenamt). In 1918, a neo-classical wing was added on the south side, making the complex measure 100 by 100 meters. After World War II, the heavily damaged building housed government agencies, and from 1949 it served as the main post office. When the federal postal service was privatized in 1995, the administration was dismantled and profitable spaces were created. In the late 1990s, Deutsche Post AG commissioned the Düsseldorf office of international architecture firm Chapman Taylor to convert the listed building into a modern shopping center. After two years of construction, the Post Galerie opened on 21 September 2001, with construction costs of 51 million euros. It was Karlsruhe's first shopping center. The retail space spans 29,000 square meters (food and non-food) across three accessible levels (ground floor, basement, first floor) connected by a 22-meter-high atrium with stairs and two glass elevators. The second and third floors are not accessible through the shopping center; there are also other commercial spaces, offices, and practices. Customers can find about 50 shops (fashion, accessories, food, fine dining, press, ticket offices, etc.). The largest tenants are Decathlon, Primark, and TK Maxx. Deutsche Post still reserves 900 square meters with a counter for letter and parcel post ('yellow post') and postal bank and a mailbox room. Major renovation work took place in 2011 and 2012 after the former main tenant Saturn moved to a neighboring department store. An underground parking garage under Stephanplatz holds 330 spaces. In 2015, Post Galerie was expanded by one floor representing 1,300 square meters of additional retail space. Additionally, a fitness center spans 3,000 square meters. The shopping center is managed by CEMAGG GmbH, Karlsruhe (formerly Sonae Sierra Germany GmbH, Düsseldorf). The Post Galerie has been privately owned since 2007. In 2011, comprehensive modernization and optimization of the tenant mix began, expanding Karlsruhe's retail offering with contemporary brands. Today the Post Galerie presents a modernized interior and strong fashion anchor tenants: Primark, TK Maxx, and Peek & Cloppenburg (Düsseldorf) form a retail offering that fulfills all fashion wishes. The diverse gastronomy offering extends throughout the shopping center: a classic food court in the basement and spacious seating areas invite visitors to linger. The experience gastronomy ALEX on the ground floor gives the Post Galerie a cozy appearance toward Stephanplatz with a large chill-out terrace, creating a special quality of stay on the tree-lined Stephanplatz. FRITTENWERK, BÄCKEREI GRIMMINGER, HANS IM GLÜCK, and BURGER KING open the Post Galerie gastronomically to the high-traffic Europaplatz. The Pfitzenmeier group completes the shopping center with the penthouse fitness club VENICE BEACH in the fitness and lifestyle sector. With its unique tenant mix, the shopping center presents itself as a top address for experience shopping and leisure activities in Karlsruhe's inner city.

• Building opens as the Imperial Post and Telegraph Office.

• Neo-classical wing added on the south side.

• Building becomes the main post office.

• Federal postal service privatized; administration dismantled.

• Post Galerie opens as Karlsruhe's first shopping center.

• Post Galerie comes into private ownership.

• Comprehensive modernization and tenant mix optimization begins.

• Expansion by one floor adds 1,300 m² of retail space.

A centrally located shopping center in a heritage building, offering fashion, dining, fitness, and everyday services.

• Fashion retail

• Food court and restaurants

• Fitness and lifestyle

• Postal services

• Parking

1. 1Postgalerie – Karlsruhepostgalerie.de
2. 2Über uns – Postgalerie – Karlsruhepostgalerie.de
3. 3Galerie – Postgalerie – Karlsruhepostgalerie.de
4. 4Post Galeriewikidata.org
5. 5Postgaleriefr.wikipedia.org