The Alte Oberpostdirektion, the old post office building in Hamburg, was given listed building status by the Hanseatic City of Hamburg in 1997 and is a grand building in the Renaissance Revival style. Behind the 100 metre-long façade along Gorch-Fock-Wall, which separates the building from the Wallanlagen parks opposite, there used to be a depot where the post office parked and loaded its vehicles for many decades. The plan was to revitalise the central structure in a similar style to the renovation work that had already been carried out. An arched glass structure was therefore added to the roof on the wing of the building along Gorch-Fock-Wall to continue the arched design implemented in the first construction phase. Along Dammtorwall at the rear, the response of the architects was

to add five extra floors. At the heart of the building is the imposing Semper Hall, which originally served as a connecting structure.
It also underwent extensive refurbishment and although the historic steel structure has been preserved, a new hipped roof has been added. The galleried internal passage is flanked by offices, meeting rooms and lounges on two floors. Customers and users can now also access the building via the newly created entrances in the centre of the two building structures, which complement the entrance via the main building on the eastern side.

The Alte Oberpostdirektion is now officially called the Work Life Center.

Source: City profile magazine, issue Hamburg

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