The Carlsberg Elephants
The Elephant Gate, also referred to as the Elephant Tower, is the most famous landmark of the Carlsberg area, the original brewery site of the Carlsberg Breweries, which is now under redevelopment as a new neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. It takes its name from four large granite elephants which flank the gate, standing back to back, carrying a small tower on their backs.
Typically of Ny Carlsberg's architecture, as well as of Vilhelm Dahlerip's work in general, the Elephant Gate is built to a colourful Historicist design which freely relies on inspiration from different periods and cultures.
The elephant feature, which was Carl Jacobsen's own idea, was inspired by Bernini's obelisk-carrying elephant on Piazza della Minerva in Rome. The four elephants were created by the sculptor Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan based on a sketch by Dahlerup.