- Address: Jiráskovo nám. 1981/6, 120 00 Nové Město, Czech Republic
- Phone: +420 605 083 611
- Website: tancici-dum.cz
- Architectural style: deconstructivism
- Architectural Office: Gehry Partners, LLP
- Authors of the project: Vlado Milunich and Frank Gehry
- Year of foundation: 1992
- Construction: 1994-1996.
Prague surprises tourists with ancient architecture - castles , churches, theaters . However, modern buildings can impress the guests of the Czech capital. One such is the famous Dancing House. Our article will tell you what exactly he is so attracted to the views of passers-by and causes disputes among the citizens.
History of the Dancing House in Prague
The initiator of its construction was Vaclav Havel, the first president of the Czech Republic . Firstly, he wanted to fill a long-empty corner on the embankment, whose buildings were mistakenly destroyed by bombers during wartime. Secondly, Havel himself lived nearby and wished to decorate his beloved city so that this building left a mark on the history of the capital. Construction continued from 1994 to 1996. The authors of the project Dancing House in Prague (Czech Republic) were two famous architects - Canadian Frank Gehry and Croatian Vlado Milunich.
What is in the Dancing House in Prague?
Initially it was planned that in such an unusual building an art gallery and library would be located, but the circumstances developed that today the Dancing House is a large office center, where several international companies are based.
There is also the hotel Dancing House Hotel 4 *, where wealthy travelers stay. They have a choice of 21 rooms, from windows which opens a chic panorama of the city.
Tourists with interest visit the French restaurant "The Pearl of Prague" (incidentally, very expensive), which is on the roof of this original building, in a transparent superstructure, nicknamed "Medusa". From the restaurant of the Dancing House in Prague is also an excellent view of the city, which can be appreciated in the photo.
Features of architecture
Nothing more than deconstructionism - the architectural style of the Dancing House - is still the subject of lively disputes between the Pragueians. Some believe that the non-standard form of the Dancing House spoils the "medieval" look of Prague, familiar to the whole world as "the city of a hundred towers." Their opponents defend the beautiful building, referring to the fact that the house today is a bright spot among the old buildings, visibly enlivening Prague. In this case, "defenders", according to statistics, more - 68% of the capital's residents.
So, the Dancing House consists of two cylindrical towers and stands out against the backdrop of the block of XIX-XX centuries. The building is by no means of its own height (there are only 7 floors in it). Features of the architecture is the presence of a visually complex shape and characteristic fractures, which symbolize an aggressive invasion of the calm urban environment.
With all this, the interior of the Dancing House does not represent anything special - the standard office space and the usual hotel .
Interesting fact
The second name of the Dancing House in Prague is Ginger and Fred. It got to the building due to its characteristic appearance: one of the two parts of the house, expanding upward, resembles a male figure, and the second - a female one, in a lush billowing skirt. Thanks to this, an architectural couple merged into a passionate dance and dubbed "Ginger and Fred", in honor of the famous pair of American dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
Pragmans sometimes call the building a Drunken House.
How to get to the sights?
The address of the Dancing House is as follows: Prague , Jiráskovo nám. 1981/6, 120 00 Nové Město, on the map it is located on the corner where the embankment of the Vltava River and Resslovaya Street intersect in the Prague 2 area.
From Charles Bridge you can walk here for 10-15 minutes, if you walk along the promenade of Masaryk , or take trams number 5 or 17 from Wenceslas Square (stop Palackého náměstí).