Elephant Gate, Architectural sculpture at Berlin Zoological Garden, Germany
The Elephant Gate features two life-size sandstone elephant sculptures supporting a pagoda roof adorned with gold ornaments and green glazed ceramic tiles. It functions as a primary entrance to the Zoological Garden.
The gate was designed in 1899 by architects Karl Zaar and Rudolf Vahl as a grand entrance for the zoo. It was destroyed during World War II and then completely reconstructed between 1983 and 1984.
The gate combines East Asian architectural elements with German craftsmanship, showing how late 19th-century Berlin embraced international design influences. It signals the exotic nature of what lies beyond the entrance.
The gate is located on Budapester Strasse in the Berlin-Mitte district and provides direct access to the Zoological Garden. It serves as a clear landmark and orientation point at the main entrance.
The 1983–84 elephants were carved from 175 tonnes of Posta sandstone from the Mühlleite quarry near Lohmen in Saxon Switzerland. Because the contract went to the East German VEB Elbenaturstein in Dresden, zoo director Heinz-Georg Klös obtained permission from West Berlin's governing mayors Richard von Weizsäcker and Eberhard Diepgen.
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