A building in the city's memory
In Arrecife, there was a time when a letter could change the mood of a house. News from relatives who had emigrated, messages expected from other islands or from the Peninsula, and errands that required personal visits to a counter were part of a routine that seems distant today. In that city, communications had a different rhythm, and the Post Office building was one of the places where that rhythm was visible.
Its history is linked to the modernization of Lanzarote and the desire to strengthen its connections with the outside world. The island's historical chronology places the completion of the works on October 22, 1959, although this date should be understood as a reference pending corroboration through original documentation of the work's reception. The arrangements to acquire the plot had begun years earlier. Located at the former Avenida del Generalísimo, number 14, the land was the subject of a provision published in the Official State Gazette on September 30, 1953.
The architectural project, prepared by Luis Gámir Prieto, was approved in January 1957. A few weeks later, the auction for the execution of the works was called, with a budget of 3,628,484.60 pesetas. The construction was awarded to the company of Pedro Elejabeitia, also linked to other relevant architectural projects on the island, including the former Parador Nacional de Turismo.
The building, with three floors, a basement, and an attached tower, was erected opposite the José Ramírez Cerdá park and next to the old Casino, now the Agustín de la Hoz House of Culture. Its location incorporated it into one of the most recognizable spaces in the capital, where La Marina avenue, the park, and the coastline have accompanied the changes in Arrecife for generations.
Post Office, Telegraph, and Coastal Station: a connected island
The building was not conceived solely as a post office. The Post Office, Telegraph, and Coastal Station, three fundamental services for an island whose relationship with the outside world depended on specific infrastructure and, to a large extent, on maritime transport, were housed in its facilities.
The Coastal Station allowed maintaining radio communications with ships, an important function for navigation and for vessels operating in waters near the archipelago. Before the widespread use of mobile telephony and digital communications, these facilities were part of a network that facilitated contact between land and sea.
In May 1960, the new building already offered postal services to the public: the possibility of depositing letters in its mailboxes and the daily collection of correspondence were announced. The headquarters maintained its activity for decades, until the postal service moved to other facilities at the beginning of 2017.
Through its windows passed neighbors who came to send letters, receive family news, and conduct business. There is no need to attribute a specific memory to anyone to understand the importance of that place: in a society marked by distances, Correos was a piece of daily life and a tangible way to maintain the bond with those who were far away.
Jean Pierre Hock and the artistic footprint
The history of the property is also related to the artistic heritage of Lanzarote. The Belgian painter Jean Pierre Hock, who exhibited in July 1959 at the La Vasca guesthouse, left a footprint linked to different spaces on the island. Among the works attributed to him are murals with island motifs made in the guesthouse itself, in the Correos building, and in the lobby of the first passenger terminal of the Guacimeta airport.
These works allow us to contemplate the building beyond its administrative functions. Its history is part of a period in which certain collective buildings and spaces incorporated artistic elements inspired by the island's landscape and identity.
Academic documentation on the artistic heritage of Lanzarote records the existence of a mural on the ground floor of Correos. However, knowing its current state and determining if it is preserved would require a specific heritage inspection. Any recovery project should include the location, documentation, and protection of possible original artistic elements.
La Marina Avenue as a setting in Arrecife
Historical photographs allow us to follow the transformation of the property and its surroundings: from the plot of land prior to construction to images from the late fifties and views of the avenue during subsequent decades. They record a city that has changed, but which retains signs of other eras in its public spaces.
The value of the building lies not only in its architecture. It is also part of the emotional landscape of Arrecife: of the walks along the avenue, of visits to the nearby park, and of an era when going to the Post Office was a specific task, but also an opportunity to meet acquaintances and share news.
Preserving it means recognizing that everyday dimension of history. Public buildings acquire meaning not only for their design or the functions they housed, but also for the relationship they establish with the life of the city and with the generations that use them.
From postal activity to an uncertain future
The relocation of the postal service at the beginning of 2017 marked a turning point. After decades of activity, the property ceased to fulfill the function for which it had been conceived and entered a stage of uncertainty regarding its fate and preservation.
In 2023, an initiative was announced to incorporate the building into public heritage and dedicate it to the Maritime Museum. The proposal opened up the possibility of returning it to a cultural use related to the maritime history of Lanzarote. However, the operation did not materialize on the terms announced, and the museum project did not translate into the definitive recovery of the property.
The case reflects the distance that can exist between announcing a heritage initiative and putting it into practice. Effective preservation requires clarifying the legal and administrative situation, assessing the state of the building, guaranteeing funding, and establishing a timetable of action with defined responsibilities.
It is also necessary to know its current conditions and determine what measures are needed to protect its architectural and historical values. Without that assessment and without a concrete project, the future of the old Post Office remains open.
Recovering a building is recovering a part of Arrecife
The old headquarters of Correos summarizes a part of the island's history: the modernization of communications, the importance of mail and telegraphy, and the transformation of a capital city that adapted to new economic and social needs. But its significance does not end with its construction data or the functions it housed.
For many cities, memory is preserved in grand monuments; for others, it also lives in everyday buildings where a part of common life took place. The old Correos belongs to this second category: a place whose relevance is understood by relating it to the letters, news, and connections it helped sustain.
Its recovery should begin by documenting the state of the property, studying its architectural and artistic elements, and defining a viable project, with funding and deadlines. The collection of photographs, documents, and testimonies would also allow for a more detailed reconstruction of the history of those who worked there and the citizens who used its services.
For decades, that building was a gateway for news. Today, the question is no longer just what use it will have, but what place Arrecife wants to reserve for its own memory. Letting the property remain without a definitive solution would be losing the opportunity to turn a space steeped in history into a living part of the city's future.
Documentary and Heritage Sources:
— Boletín Oficial del Estado, September 30, 1953: provision regarding the acquisition of the plot for Correos y Telecomunicación.
— Boletín Oficial del Estado, January 27, 1957: approval of the building project. Official document. — Boletín Oficial del Estado, February 3, 1957: announcement of the works auction. Official document. — Memoria Digital de Lanzarote, historical chronology of the building, with reference to Antena, no. 329, October 20, 1959, p. 5. Chronological record.
— Memoria Digital de Lanzarote, historical photographic archive of the building and its surroundings. Images may be subject to copyright and require authorization for reproduction. Photographic record.
— Academic publication on Jean Pierre Hock and the historical murals of Lanzarote. Academic publication. — Arrecife Municipal Archive, documentary funds for further historical research. Archive information.
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