Look to your right, just past the row of tall palm trees and the open square with benches. You'll spot a pale yellow and cream-colored building with a rather strict, square shape and lots of windows lined up in tidy rows. The ground floor is lined with strong stone, and there are some hefty wooden doors. If you’re standing in front of it, the central part of the façade sticks out a bit, giving you a good clue you’ve found the famous Melilla Post Office Building.
Alright, time to let your imagination run! Imagine, right where you're standing now, the clip-clop of footsteps on those stone tiles as people rushed to send letters, postcards, or-if they were lucky-collect a surprise package.
This isn’t just any building. The Melilla Post Office Building is the showstopper of rationalist architecture here in the city. Built from tough iron and wrapped up in brick, it’s got a complicated past! The city handed over the land in 1920, a captain in the military-Jorge Palanca-drew up plans in 1924, but... plot twist! The Spanish Civil War put a halt to everything. Construction only picked up steam again in 1943, and after nearly three decades of waiting, the doors finally opened in 1951.
Now, picture being here in the 1950s: this was the biggest office building in town. The ground floor once buzzed with people at sturdy marble counters, sunlight pouring down from a big skylight above. You can almost hear the clatter of typewriters and the ding of desk bells. Talk about snail mail-some letters might’ve taken so long, your pet tortoise could’ve hand-delivered them faster.
Over the years, the post office moved out, mostly-though, in a comic turn, parcels had to be brought back after the new spot proved too small. The plan now is for this grand old place to whisper new stories as the Faculty of Nursing once restoration is finished.
So, as you stand among the palms, look up at those color-blocked walls and imagine all the secrets, hopes, and news that have passed through those doors. Each window might have a story to tell-or a letter still waiting to be delivered.
