In mid-February, a construction crew began lifting a 1940s post office building located in Burlingame, Calif., on the San Francisco Peninsula. The crew moved the 1,010-ton structure about 120 feet away so that a new underground parking garage can be built directly beneath the post office’s historic site, while a new office and retail development, 220 Park Road, will be built above it.
In 2023, after undergoing restoration, the post office will be moved back to its former site, where it will be integrated into the new office and retail building, designed by KSH Architects. It will then have a second life as a ground-floor restaurant space at the base of the 220 Park Road office and retail development.
As the preservation architect, Page & Turnbull collaborated with KSH Architects and general contractor Garden City Construction to safely move the structure. The new development is a joint venture of Sares Regis Group of Northern California and Dostart Development Company.
“This post office is part of the historic fabric of the city of Burlingame, and we are honored to help ensure the preservation and adaptation of this public treasure,” says architect Ruth Todd, principal of Page & Turnbull, and the project’s preservation leader, in a statement.
Garden City Construction is joined by construction manager Devcon Construction, structural engineer IMEG, and civil engineer BKF. The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering is performed, respectively, by Silicon Valley Mechanical, Rex Moore, and KDS Plumbing.
The project broke ground in September. When it’s complete, the long-vacant, 1.3-acre lot in the center of downtown Burlingame will be home to 185,000 square feet of new office and retail space. The repurposed post office then will open onto the new adjacent Burlingame Town Square, scheduled to begin construction right after the completion of 220 Park.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Feb 11, 2015
Developer plans to turn Eero Saarinen's Bell Labs HQ into New Urbanist town center
Designed by Eero Saarinen in the late 1950s, the two-million-sf, steel-and-glass building was one of the best-funded and successful corporate research laboratories in the world.
| Jan 15, 2015
Libeskind unveils 'zig zag' plan for recreational center near Vilnius ski area
Perched on the highest peak between Vilnius' historic quarter and downtown, the Vilnius Beacon will be a hub for visiting skiers and outdoor enthusiasts.
| Jan 7, 2015
4 audacious projects that could transform Houston
Converting the Astrodome to an urban farm and public park is one of the proposals on the table in Houston, according to news site Houston CultureMap.
| Aug 6, 2014
BIG reinvents the zoo with its 'Zootopia' natural habitat concept [slideshow]
Bjarke Ingels’ firm is looking to improve the 1960s-designed Givskund Zoo in Denmark by giving the animals a freer range to roam.
| Jul 30, 2014
German students design rooftop solar panels that double as housing
Students at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences designed a solar panel that can double as living space for the Solar Decathlon Europe.
| Jul 24, 2014
MIT researchers explore how to make wood composite-like blocks of bamboo
The concept behind the research is to slice the stalk of bamboo grass into smaller pieces to bond together and form sturdy blocks, much like conventional wood composites.
| Jul 14, 2014
Meet the bamboo-tent hotel that can grow
Beijing-based design cooperative Penda designed a bamboo hotel that can easily expand vertically or horizontally.
| Jul 14, 2014
Foster + Partners unveils triple-glazed tower for RMK headquarters
The London-based firm unveiled plans for the Russian Copper Company's headquarters in Yekaterinburg.
| Jul 11, 2014
First look: Jeanne Gang reinterprets San Francisco Bay windows in new skyscraper scheme
Chicago architect Jeanne Gang has designed a 40-story residential building in San Francisco that is inspired by the city's omnipresent bay windows.
| Jul 11, 2014
Are these LEGO-like blocks the future of construction?
Kite Bricks proposes a more efficient way of building with its newly developed Smart Bricks system.