Spiral Staircase – City Post Office, Pula, Croatia
In a more modern part of the city we chanced across a pleasant little square with a water fountain and lined with nineteenth century buildings that had once been the bourgeois commercial centre at the height of the Austrian Empire.
In this square was the City Post Office which was a much later twentieth century addition built in 1933 and although unremarkable from the outside had hidden inside a magnificent Gaudi like spiral staircase which rose majestically from the ground floor to the top of the building in an extravagant scarlet sweep that oozed style and grandeur.
The building was designed by Angiolo Mazzoni del Grande who was the chief architect for the Ministry of Communications and for the State Railways under the Mussolini regime in Italy. He was one of the most outstanding Italian architects of the modern period and was responsible for the design of many public buildings and railway stations across Italy that were characteristic of the Fascist building boom.
It was an unusual discovery and it would be much better housed in a more important building but this was a hidden gem of Pula and I am glad that we found it.
Have Bag, Will Travel 
That’s a pretty cool post office.
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It was once I am sure, now it is just a regular office block with a grand staircase!
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Did the rest of the interior match the staircase or was it a bit of a stand out?
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There are some interesting features but the staircase is the best. The walls are covered in red mosaic tiles. The remainder of the interior is strictly functional and there have been some inappropriate additions and changes.
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That is one cool shot Andrew!
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Thanks Spike.
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I love the staircase. Most unusual. Great pic for the challenge.
🙂
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Wow this looks like something by Anish Kapoor! SD
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