Elephant and Giraffe House at Bristol Zoo

Elephant and Giraffe House was built in 1872 and is attributed to the architect Charles Hansom. A 1964 brick extension to the north and a 21st-century gorilla enclosure within the building are not included in the listing. The building is constructed from randomly coursed Brandon Hill Grit rubble stone with limestone dressings, and has a roof covered in alternating bands of plain and scalloped clay tiles.

The building originally had a through passage plan running from west to east, with animal enclosures to the south side, although this has been altered. It is built in a Tudor Gothic Revival style, with façades appearing as a two-storey building and attic, beneath a cross-gabled roof with overhanging eaves. The west elevation features a paired gable arrangement, each with an attic window, two windows to the first floor, and a tall doorway to the ground floor. A wider doorway on the left-hand bay forms the entrance to the through passage, with a matching doorway on the east elevation. The east elevation has a pair of half dormers instead of gables, and a taking-in door at attic level on the right-hand bay. The south elevation reflects the original division of the animal house. The wide left-hand bay has a central wide doorway for the elephant, with a window above, and triangular roof dormers with trefoil shaped lights to the pitched roof. The right-hand gabled bay has a two-storey doorway for the giraffe, with a paired window above. The north elevation’s gabled and pitched roof remains, but the wall beneath was removed to accommodate a later extension. The interior has been significantly altered.

Under planning legislation, the 21st-century gorilla enclosure is not considered to be of special architectural or historic interest, but any potential works that could affect the building's character may still require planning permission.