Do you recognize this building?
Throughout the last couple of years, I swear I have come across this oddly shaped complex more than once while randomly surfing the Internet. If I am recalling correctly, I think every time was in the form of some sort of clickbait article.
Despite seeing it many times, I never really looked into this building and its architecture.
So that is what I will be talking about this week.
Designed in 1992 and completed in 1996, this building was commissioned by Nationale-Nederlanden, a Dutch insurance company. Built as a collaboration between well known Croation-Czech architect Vlado Milunić and famous Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, the complex is commonly referred to as the Prague Dancing House because of its bending shape.
Located in the capital of the Czech Republic, this unique building also goes by nickname Ginger and Fred, after the famous dancers Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. The male component of the building is represented by the rock tower while the female part is symbolized through the curving tower made of glass.
The Prague Dancing House is home to about 3,000 square meters of office spaces, a restaurant, a gallery, a conference center, as well as a sightseeing terrace that overlooks the city below.
This work is an example of the deconstructivist architecture style, a movement of postmodern architecture which first appeared in the 1980s. This style gives the impression of the fragmentation of a constructed building and is usually characterized by the absence of harmony, symmetry, or continuity. To designers, this style is also referred to as “new-baroque.”
Based on a reinforced concrete construction with 99 differently shaped and sized panels, the complex has nine floors, each of which being filled with asymmetrical rooms.
Besides the unusual twisting shape of the glass tower, which is supported by curved pillars and extends slightly over the sidewalk, another interesting feature of the Dancing House are the uneven mouldings and crooked windows. The windows have protruding frames, creating a three dimensional effect to shift the perspective. Resembling picture frames or windows drawn in cartoons, this design adds to the complex’s chaotic theme.
While today the Prague Dancing House is considered to be one of the most valuable postmodern buildings in Prague, its building was extremely controversial at the time, as many believed the house would stand out amongst the other Baroque, Gothic, and Art Nouveau buildings in the city.
In fact, today the general shape of the building appears on the 2,000 Czech koruna coin to signify its importance not only as a famous work of architecture, but also as a part of the city’s history.
Click here to read more about the Prague Dancing House.
ksg5299 says
This building reminds me of something out of a Dr.Seuss book. I think the concept of the gender buildings is cute and unique. I think the chaos adds to the aura of the building.
rkg5404 says
I always find it so cool to see buildings out of place. This one is so surrounded by the classic shape and it reminds me that the norm is just an idea. What is all of our buildings were creative like that? It is an interesting thought.
egk5135 says
Wow! At first, I thought this image was edited to look different. How incredible it is that architects can design such a building without having structural or foundational issues. Seeing this building just makes me want to travel even more! Maybe we can take a class field trip??
Heidi says
Seeing this post made me so happy because my family is Czech and whenever we go to Prague, we always make sure to see the building. It’s so beautifully done. During the winter, my sister and I brought some friends up to the lookout point. You can see Prague Castle and historic Charles Bridge that crosses the Vltava River. I love that you wrote about the Dancing House, or as we call it, Tančící dům, for your blog post. My mom and I were just talking about the architecture a few days ago, but not many people know it exists or that the Czech Republic is even a country.