General Post Office, 2-4 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh

The General Post Office, located at 2-4 Waterloo Place in Edinburgh, is an Italian High Renaissance office building designed by Robert Matheson between 1861 and 1865, with later additions by W W Robertson from 1891 to 1892 and W T Oldrieve from 1907 to 1910. This three-storey structure features an 11 by 15-bay layout and is situated at a critical junction in the city center. It includes four-storey, three-bay corner pavilions that are slightly advanced, and a stepped 26-bay elevation to the south, with additional lower storeys. The building is constructed of ashlar stone, with chamfered rustication at the ground level. It has a base course, a band course, and blind balustraded parapets on the first and second storeys, along with a dentilled cornice on the second storey and a balustraded parapet adorned with pedestaled urns on the corner pavilions.

The north, south, and west elevations are divided into bays by a Corinthian order. The first storey features window openings with pilasters, engaged columns, and clasping columns, all framed by moulded architraves and alternating segmental and triangular pediments. The second storey has engaged columns and clasping pilasters, some of which are paired, while the ground and second storey have deep-set round-arched window openings.

The main entrance elevation faces north towards Waterloo Place and is symmetrical, with a central five-bay arrangement at the ground level that includes an ashlar, round-arched arcaded entrance atrium. The building predominantly has four- and eight-pane timber sash and case windows. A recessed flat-roofed attic storey was added around the year 2000, and other areas now feature roof gardens.

The interior is believed to have been comprehensively altered in 2000, creating office space while retaining the façade.

To the west, there is a broad ashlar wall with a base course and broad, flat coping. This wall is topped at two entrances by four tall, tapered, cast iron square-plan decorative lamp standards with curved feet and hexagonal lanterns.