A unique elephant encounter in Nantes Jun 13, 2019

A unique elephant encounter in Nantes

Created by François Delarozière, Pierre Orefice, and their team of artists and engineers at La Machine Company workshop, the Grand Éléphant was the first of three artworks/attractions constructed for the Machines de l’île (Machines of the Isle) in Nantes. The elephant is a mechanical sculpture that’s so big it can take up to 49 passengers for a 45-minute walk. After unveiling the elephant in 2007 and the Carrousel des Mondes Marins (Marine World Carousel) in 2012, they"re now working on an ambitious third project, L’Arbre aux Hérons (Tree of Herons), scheduled for 2022. The efforts of these visionary creators have turned a shuttered industrial shipyard on the Loire River into a unique place where art, architecture, tourism, and urban planning come together to delight all who visit.

© Dutourdumonde Photography/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Jun 13, 2020A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
Jun 13, 2021Bear watching in the Finnish forest
Jun 13, 2022Okavango Delta, Botswana
Jun 13, 2023Okefenokee Swamp
Jun 13, 2024Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Jun 13, 2025Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 15, 2022Borovets ski resort in Bulgaria
Jul 15, 2021A river runs through rice fields
Mar 2, 2021Fall for Chile
May 6, 2018A wetland in Västmanland, Sweden
Jan 20, 2021Penguins can t fly!
Jul 15, 2025Perseid meteor shower over Nevada
Nov 28, 2021Celebrating Panama s independence
Apr 11, 2018Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province, China
Jan 26, 2022India Republic Day
Mar 9, 2024Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
Jan 24, 2018Santo Antão Island in the Republic of Cabo Verde
Sep 30, 2021Global commerce in motion
Nov 30, 2024Saint Andrews Day
Jun 24, 2020Midsummer in Sweden
May 12, 2023Wild lupines
May 6, 2025An ultralight aircraft flying over the sands of Namibia
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
Feb 6, 2023Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Nov 28, 2024Happy Thanksgiving!
Apr 24, 2025Spire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska
Nov 1, 2018Celebrating the Day of the Dead
Feb 17, 2019Flock online for the Great Backyard Bird Count
Jan 5, 2021Flying high on National Bird Day
Sep 15, 2022Hispanic Heritage Month
Jun 27, 2022Lavender fields on the Valensole Plateau in Provence, France
Jul 20, 2020Earthrise on Moon Day
Jul 31, 2023Rock House in Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Jul 29, 2022International Tiger Day
Mar 21, 2019The power of the forest
Jun 18, 2024Lupine fields, Snæfellsnes, Iceland