Vatican Mobile Post Office

The design of a pavilion for the new Vatican mobile post office embraces the opportunity to introduce architecture that serves the public within one of the world’s most iconic squares. Commissioned by Poste Italiane, which donated the building to the Vatican Post Office, this project demanded a sensitive approach to integrating new architecture into the historically and spiritually significant context of St. Peter’s Square. The intervention strikes a balance between tradition and modernity, embodying the idea of impermanence within the 17th-century marble colonnade designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
The compact structure uses a prefabricated system tailored for rapid assembly, ensuring high construction quality and minimizing disruption. It harmoniously integrates into its setting through the use of noble and timeless materials, including timber, bronze, and glass. The pavilion’s polygonal plan features sixteen segmented sides and can be assembled or disassembled within 48 hours, catering to contemporary needs for flexibility and mobility.
The structural components are crafted from metal-clad timber, while the sloped glass perimeter walls establish a visual connection between the interior and the surrounding square, allowing for abundant natural light. The roof features a dual-layer design: an internal structural roof and a floating bronze-toned metal disk that provides perimeter shading. The entrance is highlighted by a portal of the same bronze-coated material.
Inside, the pavilion accommodates both philatelic displays and postal services, offering a versatile space that balances function and design. Display cases arranged along a circular path showcase collectible stamps, leading to three service counters—two dedicated to philately and one for general postal services—and consultation tables made of wood and glass. Movable wooden slat partitions allow for flexible spatial reconfigurations, creating a dynamic interplay of open and enclosed areas that distinguishes the dual functions without isolating them.
The interior design includes furnishings from the AMDL CIRCLE’s Poste Italiane design system, ensuring consistency with the visual identity with all of the branch offices. Natural light, augmented by a zenithal lighting system, enhances the neutral gray-toned interior, which complements the wooden furniture and highlights the philatelic products.
The interior design includes furnishings from the AMDL CIRCLE’s Poste Italiane design system, ensuring consistency with the visual identity with all of the branch offices. Natural light, augmented by a zenithal lighting system, enhances the neutral gray-toned interior, which complements the wooden furniture and highlights the philatelic products.
With this mobile post office for the Vatican, AMDL CIRCLE continues its exploration of architecture as a temporary yet impactful installation—an object that adapts seamlessly to its surroundings while addressing the demands of a society in constant motion.