Brahms Kontor, Heritage-listed Kontorhaus in Neustadt, Hamburg, Germany

Brahms Kontor is a Kontorhaus, a type of office building specific to Hamburg, located in the Neustadt district and built with a steel frame clad in brick. The facade is decorated with bronze sculptures, making it one of the more ornate examples of this building type in the city.

The building was completed between 1927 and 1931, a period when Hamburg was expanding its commercial center with large office towers. It came through World War II with little damage, which is why so much of its original fabric is still intact today.

The name dates from 2005, when the building was remarketed; the square opposite was renamed Johannes-Brahms-Platz in 1997 for the composer's 100th death anniversary, chosen over Karl-Muck-Platz because it suited the Laeiszhalle opposite. The entrance hall, restored between 1987 and 1991, has bright red tiles, and the stairwell is Art Deco.

The building sits in Neustadt and is easy to reach by public transport from the city center. Walking around the block gives a good view of the facade from different angles, which is worth doing before or after visiting the entrance hall.

Among the bronze figures on the facade is an elephant known by the nickname 'Anton', which has become a local landmark in its own right. Passersby often stop to look at it, drawn by the unexpected sight of an elephant on the side of an office building.