Comments on: Elephant House at Copenhagen Zoo by Foster + Partners

By: Till

Till — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:15:46 +0000

It appears to be quite a successful project – responds to site, function, animals & planet in simple & meaningful ways.

By: Gelly

Gelly — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:31:00 +0000

It is obvious none of those who are so ready to criticize this elephant house have not come even close to it, let alone visited it. Aside from two dome structures there is plenty of room for elephants outside. I have seen a young elephant chasing away ducks, another one spraying itself with water in the pond and yet another pulling branches and throwing them around just for fun. All under clear blue sky (which is unusal Danish weather).

Reason why they put sand as floor cover is because it is harder to walk on and thus helps keep elephant leg mucles strong, because they don’t walk as much as they do in the wilderness. Also, zoo kepers burry objects in the sand so that elephants would not get vored and could develop their curiousity and cognitive abilities.

Let’s not forget that in the wild epehants can get attacked by predators, dehydrate, get sick… all the things that they are protecter from in Copenhagen Zoo.

I must say, Copenhagen Zoo is one of the rare zoos where I didn’t feel depressed and sorry for the animals. They have huge spaces to live in, part where they can get privacy from eyes od the public, are well taken care of, and are playful and happy to look at.

By: Gelly

Gelly — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:38:03 +0000

It is obvious none of those who are so ready to criticize this elephant house have not come even close to it, let alone visited it. Aside from two dome structures there is plenty of room for elephants outside. I have seen a young elephant chasing ducks away, another one spraying itself in the little pond and yet another pulling branches and throwing them around just for fun. All under clear blue sky (which is unusual Danish weather).

Sand has been put there because it is harder to walk on and helps keep elephant’s leg muscles strong because they don’t get to walk as much as when they are in wilderness. Also, zoo keepers burry objects in the sand so that elephants would not get bored and could develop their curiosity and cognitive abilities.

Let’s not forget that in the wild elephants can get attack by lions, dehydrate, get sick… all the things that they are protected from in Copenhagen Zoo.

I must say, Copenhagen Zoo is one of the rare zoos where I didn’t feel depressed and sorry for animals. They have huge spaces to live in, are well taken care of, and are playful and happy to look at.

By: Natan

Natan — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:17:50 +0000

Mr. Foster & Partners…you must be shame.
It`s no necessary this great millonary building for elephants…¿have you heard of the eco/bio-architecture…Your proyect is for the “applause” of your friends and so…The architects also are human…and so many human are without a mini house, without meat…shame of you and your “world”!!

By: Natan

Natan — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:12:25 +0000

Cuando sobra el dinero para hacer estas obras, y hay mucha gente que no tiene nada para comer, ya no un techo para cubrirse, algo anda mal en el mundo, ¡qué lástima! ¡qué falta de sensibilidad humana!
estos elefantes viven mejor que millones de seres humanos…
Será porque quieren seguir así, es que expulsan a extranjeros…
Toda América recibió europeos pobres en el último siglo y medio, nuestros países están repletos de gente, todavía vivos de Europa, que vinieron a esta tierra sin dinero, y se les recibe y trata como hermanos…
Nosotros no lo vamos a cambiar…Sres. europeos, mientras los contribuyentes no se quejen por estas “inversiones” millonarias para elefantes, que no las necesitan, hubiera sido mejor una construcción ecológica, y más económica…seguirá así…qué lástima por la humanidad.

By: massimo

massimo — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:49:52 +0000

non si può essere così poco naturali con la natura!

By: mikeyc2606

mikeyc2606 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:27:24 +0000

Great ambition nice project, hope the elephantss are happy…
Id love to see what the nay-sayers would propose… fools get a life.. and a job

By: andrew

andrew — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:48:40 +0000

Compared to the elephant enclosure at the LA Zoo its seems like the elephants will be happy here. (The one in LA is crappy and you can tell the elephants are miserable living there). All though I don’t see why they could have just put it outside and build a nice modern looking enclosure

By: edward

edward — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:07:35 +0000

Intelligent response to a design, requires, I would think, a recognition of one’s limitations regarding access to functional requirements, the program. Absent that, a critique would best be limited to areas where one can reasonably make assumptions. How many respondents here have any knowledge of elephant behavior. Lacking that, there is little to be said of the design other than the spaces under the domes seem correctly sized to the animals and these spaces would provide an ambient temperature during winter months in tune with the origin of the beasts. IMO.

By: El Greco

El Greco — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:32:49 +0000

Yrag’s frothiness indicates he/she has taken it personally. Don’t get us wrong Yrag, as corporate architecture goes, Foster is fine. I do have to say that the project says more “train station” than “elephant habitat”. I could be wrong–perhaps elephants love techno-Baroque domes.